The New York Yankees have been patiently waiting for pitcher Gerrit Cole to return to the mound. Cole missed the entire 2025 Major League Baseball season due to having Tommy John surgery. While Cole is still on the mend, he is facing live hitters and speaking out about that experience.
“Gerrit Cole said he felt good yesterday during his first time facing hitters and he’s feeling “great” today,” New York Post writer Greg Joyce posted to X, formerly Twitter.
Cole also hit 97 miles an hour with one of his pitches during spring training. It blew his mind that he was that effective.
“I was a little surprised,” Cole said, per the outlet.
Cole helped the Yankees reach the World Series during the 2024 season. That year, he won eight games during the regular season. Cole also posted a 3.41 ERA. New York lost in the Fall Classic to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yankees have big expectations for 2026
The Yankees reached the postseason again in 2025, but lost in the ALDS to the Toronto Blue Jays. New York fans expect the team to compete for World Series titles, and the 2025 campaign wasn't good enough.
The Yankees had a relatively quiet offseason, compared to some other MLB teams. New York did re-sign Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger. The club is expecting some big things from those bats, as well as Aaron Judge and others.
While Cole is still on the mend, Yankees coaches are hopeful that he can pitch again this season. New York is cautiously optimistic that he can be back as soon as May, per The Athletic.
“Gerrit looked great,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said after watching Cole in spring training. “Excited to see him back on the mound. That was the most important thing. The stuff is still electric.”
Cole is a six-time All-Star, who won the AL Cy Young in 2023. That season, he won 15 regular season games and was the AL's ERA leader.
New York plays a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
