The New York Yankees will be without their ace Gerrit Cole until the beginning of June due to an elbow injury, but he's still making a point of helping the team out.
Cole, one of the best starters in the game, has served as a second pitching coach for the Bronx Bombers so far in 2024. He was seen mentoring Nestor Cortes during his first outing of the campaign and continues to share his knowledge with other guys in the rotation.
Via The Athletic:
“He has a different view of the game from the pitching coaches because he’s done it for so long,” Cortes said. “He’s more about in-game insights than game planning. Maybe he’ll see something during a first at-bat or a second at-bat — what can you do to make it better now or to face the guy better a third time around?”
In any way he can, Cole is giving his advice to teammates. After all, he is a big-league veteran.
“I enjoy sharing the blessing,” Cole said, “sharing the wealth of information that I’ve been given and I like to see my teammates succeed.”
“It’s amazing when you have the best pitcher in baseball kind of serving as your hype man and a coach when you come back to the dugout,” Marcus Stroman said.
Yankees' staff is thriving without Cole
New York is off to an impressive 10-2 start and the pitching staff is undoubtedly playing their part, producing a 2.48 ERA. That ranks second in the MLB. The rotation alone sits at a 2.52 ERA. Not bad considering Cole is the clear-cut ace. Cortes has a 3.50 ERA in three outings, while Rodon sits at 1.72. Stroman, an offseason addition, hasn't allowed an earned run in two starts.
There was definitely some massive concern about how the rotation would perform without Cole at the top. However, they're managing not only stay afloat but dominate on a nightly basis. It's a promising sign for Bronx Bombers fans. The Yankees are first in the American League East right now.
Gerrit Cole remains on the 60-day IL, which isn't the usual for him. The 33-year-old has made at least 30 starts in seven of the last nine seasons. Cole has never really dealt with a major injury in his 11-year big league career.
Cole, who started his career in Pittsburgh, said both AJ Burnett and Ryan Vogelsong were key in mentoring him at a young age, which developed him into a player who can now pay it forward:
“Those two guys fostered that culture that served me very well over the years,” he said. “I find that whether some of those conversations result in a moral victory, guys being able to get through something out there or some advice that actually is advantageous for us and increases performance — that’s ultimately what we’re trying to do.”
Gerrit Cole won the AL Cy Young last year and will be crucial to the Yankees' success when he does return. But for the time being, he'll be an impactful voice for the rest of the staff.
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