On Wednesday night, New York Yankees ace starting pitcher Gerrit Cole made his much-anticipated 2024 debut. He didn’t receive an easy assignment, going up against the Baltimore Orioles, but it was a solid outing all around.
The New York Yankees would lose the game 7-6 in extra innings, but the focus was on Gerrit Cole. His performance, and most importantly how he felt, was all anyone wanted to discuss after the loss.
Both, in his estimation, were good. In four-plus innings, Gerrit Cole allowed three hits and one walk, allowing two runs. He also struck out five, throwing 62 pitches as he continues ramping up his workload.
“I felt pretty good,” Cole said. “Good command for the most part. And made some good pitches when we needed to make some good pitches.”
The New York Yankees had their star pitcher on a tight leash Wednesday night. He made only three rehab starts in the minor leagues, so it will take some time before we see him working deeper into games with a higher pitch count.
The most important thing to come out of Wednesday’s start was that he didn’t suffer any setbacks. He should be on track to make his next start, where we will likely see him up his pitch count a little bit and hopefully work at least through the fifth inning.
“I thought he got better as he went,” said New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who noted he sensed Cole was fatigued after the fourth inning.
It is hard to fault him for being fatigued. The weather has been warm in the Bronx and he was going up against one of the best teams in baseball. Gerrit Cole’s adrenaline was probably pumping taking all of that into account along with it being his debut for the season.
“I’m tired now,” Cole said. “Certainly a different level. It just demands a higher level of focus and execution. I definitely felt I could keep making pitches, but it was strategic in the pitch count. And, certainly, in that regard, we executed that perfectly.”
Losing a game to the Orioles, who are right on their heels in the AL East standings, certainly isn’t ideal. But, the New York Yankees should be taking a bigger-picture approach, especially with Gerrit Cole.
It was great seeing him back on the field, showing glimpses of his dominant self. Working him into shape will be the focus for the next few weeks, as the team will need him rounding into form if they want to take home the World Series this season.
Do you want the latest news, updates, and rumors surrounding all sports? Click here. Make sure to check out our sister sites as well: NFL Analysis Network, NBA Analysis Network, Packers Coverage.
