Gerrit Cole's value to the New York Yankees can be seen through his 3.6 bWAR and 2.79 ERA. Simply put, he has been one of the very best pitchers in baseball in 2023. But beyond that, his value is the result of his immense attention to detail and obsessive drive to get himself and his team better.

Cole is always providing insight and speaking his mind within the Yankees organization, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The star pitcher talks to owner Hal Steinbrenner, along with Aaron Judge, to gauge the performance of the team. He also regularly gives ideas to manager Aaron Boone, general manager Brian Cashman, pitching coach Matt Blake and the team's analytics department. He'll even give some advice to batters about the pitches they see from time to time.

“What I love most about him is his investment in everything and everybody, his sense of responsibility in being an ace, representing this organization,” Boone said of the Yankees ace, via The Athletic. “He takes it very seriously. He cares a lot. He cares 365 days a year.”

Lending credence to Cole's comfort in speaking to everyone in the organization is the fact that he is doing his job exceptionally well. He has the fourth-best ERA in the American League and the most bWAR. The six-time All-Star has been a steadying force in another turbulent season for the Yankees.

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Cole often catches flak for his poor performances in big games and his outspokenness. But he is always bringing his A-game and making sure his teammates are in a position to do the same. Leadership like that is always beneficial.

“You’re sitting there, watching 130 games a year,” Cole said, via The Athletic. “Or maybe I learn something I can give to something else. The best players I’ve been around are always curious, always inquisitive, always trying to get better.”

Having this level of leadership certainly helps the Yankees though it is far from enough to get them to play to their potential. New York has a lot of holes right now but thanks to Gerrit Cole, a sense of urgency and the relentless pursuit of improvement are well accounted for.