After missing the entire 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery, New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole hasn't skipped a beat this year.
The former AL Cy Young winner picked up right where he left off after rejoining the Yankees rotation in late May, going 7-6 with a 3.11 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 92 2/3 innings. He's only been better as the season's progressed, too, posting a 2.45 ERA over his last nine outings.
He was dominant again on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles, notching eight strikeouts over six innings of one-run ball in New York's 6-1 victory. He now has 1,015 strikeouts as a Yankee, passing Roger Clemens for 12th-most in franchise history.
The key for him on Thursday was getting ahead in the count, as he threw his first pitch for a strike to 22 of the 23 batters he faced. That 95.7 percent rate was the highest of his career.
The 35-year-old is peaking at a good time for the Yankees, who own the top Wild Card spot in the American League and are only four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. If Cole keeps pitching like this in September and October, perhaps he'll help New York finally win its first World Series title since 2009.