New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole recorded his 2,000th career strikeout on Tuesday versus the Baltimore Orioles, per Talkin' Baseball on Twitter. Cole is reportedly the third-fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach the 2,000 strikeout mark, with only Randy Johnson and Clayton Kershaw getting there faster, per Jon Heyman.

Cole also became just the 87th pitcher in MLB history to reach the historic mark, per MLB on Twitter.

Cole is in the midst of a strong season with the Yankees. He's established himself as one of the best pitchers in the game over the past few years, and this latest milestone will only strengthen his future Hall of Fame case.

2023 could end up being one of Cole's best seasons of his career though.

Gerrit Cole's 2,000 strikeout mark is another impressive feat in 2023

Yankees, Gerrit Cole

Gerrit Cole shockingly hasn't won a Cy Young award during his career, but that might change in 2023. The Yankees' star entered Tuesday with a sparkling 2.01 ERA and 1.085 WHIP. His performance has been clutch as well given all of the Yankees' starting pitching injuries. If it wasn't for Cole, who knows where this ball club would be.

One area where Gerrit Cole has always shined has been in the strikeout category. He's led the league in K's twice, and has struck out 200 or more hitters on five separate occasions. It's been no different during the '23 campaign, with Cole entering Tuesday with 68 strikeouts.

He's making a case for best pitcher in baseball right now. If he continues to perform at such a high level, the Yankees are going to make a deep playoff run. However, despite Cole's historic evening, New York trails the Orioles as of this story's publication.