Amidst their disappointing 2023 season, there's one standout player from the New York Yankees: Gerrit Cole. The star pitcher has been the best player for the team during this tumultuous time. Despite his team sitting near the bottom of the AL playoff picture, Cole is still in contention to win the Cy Young.

How does Gerrit Cole feel about competing for the Cy Young trophy? Well, it seems like the Yankees pitcher is not focusing on winning the individual award, per New York Daily News. That's the mentality you want to see from your ace pitcher.

“Not much,” he said when asked how focused he is on winning what would be his first Cy Young award. “I don’t want to get distracted. It’s not something that I’ve ever thought about through my whole career, so I’m just sticking with what I’ve done in the past.”

Gerrit Cole has consistently been one of the best pitchers in the entire league. Last season, though, Cole took his performance to the next level. He was a contender for the Cy Young, but he struggled a bit with allowing home runs. This season, Cole finally put the whole package. With a sub-3 ERA and less home runs allowed (1.0 HR9, from 1.5 in 2022), the Yankees pitcher is looking like a strong contender for the Cy Young.

Unfortunately, the Cy Young won't magically cause the Yankees to make it to the playoffs. The team has struggled mightily this season. Their hitters, save for Aaron Judge, couldn't hit the broad side of a barn to save their lives. Their pitchers are also wildly inconsistent, party due to the many injuries. We'll see what happens with New York.