When the New York Yankees agreed to pay Gerrit Cole one of the biggest deals in Major League Baseball history, it was clear that they were committed to finally getting over the hump and make a push for another long-awaited World Series.
And, even though the former Houston Astros ace was nothing short of spectacular during his debut season with the Bronx Bombers, it still wasn’t enough to fix their postseason woes and finish the job.
This season, however, it seems like Cole has taken his game to a whole new level, dominating the Tampa Bay Rays – one of the few teams he hadn’t been able to tame – and breaking multiple records in the meantime.
Gerrit Cole Breaks Multiple Records In Dominating Outing Vs. Rays
The UCLA product was at his best last night vs. Tampa, tossing 8 scoreless innings with just 4 hits and 12 strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 1.37 while also posting a 0.68 WHIP. Moreover, he already wrote his name in Yankees history with that performance:
“Gerrit Cole recorded his 5th game this season with 10+ strikeouts and 0 walks (8th start), already the most such games in a single season in Yankees history. It’s Cole’s 18th career game with 10+ strikeouts and 0 walks, tied for 6th-most in MLB history,” reported ESPN Stats & Info.
If that wasn’t enough, Gerrit Cole just became the second-fastest pitcher to ever throw 1,500 strikeouts (he’s got 1,508 and counting). He did in just 212 games, one fewer than Stephen Strasburg, and 6 more than the legendary Randy Johnson.
There’s no doubt that the Yankees still need to fix some issues and make a couple of adjustments to be at their best but getting such a boost from their ace will definitely point them in the right direction. So yeah, Cole is paying back every single penny they spent on him.