In theory, Gerrit Cole should be the least of the New York Yankees‘ concerns in their starting rotation. He is the ace of their staff, a perennial All Star and Cy Young candidate whose presence gives the Yankees a chance to win any game he appears in. Cole should be the deciding factor in almost any postseason series.
Then there is the reality. Cole’s performances have created a narrative that he cannot handle pressure. It is something that he is aware of as well, as noted by the cleats he wore ahead of his start against the Red Sox on Friday.
New York Yankees have a Gerrit Cole problem
It turns out that the cleat lied. Cole continued his struggles against the Red Sox, allowing two homers to tie his personal worst mark of 31 home runs in a season. He also lost his composure on an umpire he blamed for the second homer, claiming that a missed strike call led to that blast. Cole, and manager Aaron Boone, were ejected following the top of the sixth inning because of their protestations.
That is one of the two problems that the Yankees have with Cole. He seemingly melts down any time something goes against him, his inability to handle adversity taking him out of his game plan and rattling the Yankees’ ace. That is not what they need come the playoffs when every moment and call will be magnified.
Then there is the home run issue. With his outing on Friday, Cole became the only American League pitcher to allow at least four runs and two homers in three consecutive outings. That is not the type of statistic that would lead anyone to think of an ace caliber pitcher.
And such is the case with Cole. The Yankees need him to keep the ball in the yard and to shake off adversity in those pressure situations. He simply has not done that this season. Considering their margin for error over the past few weeks has become razor thin, Cole’s implosions could not have come at a worse time.
The New York Yankees need Gerrit Cole to be their ace come the playoffs. At this point in time, they cannot count on that being the case.