New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (33) is finally about to win his first Cy Young Award after removing the “second-in-command” tag.
Cole started the home game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2023 Major League Baseball at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York on the 11th (Korea Standard Time) and pitched well with three hits, no outs, and nine strikeouts in seven innings. He overwhelmed Milwaukee’s batters by throwing knuckle curves (25), sliders (12), cutters (11), and changeups (6), with a maximum of 99 miles (159.3 km) and an average of 96.5 miles (155.3 km) and a four-seam fastball (52).
He showed the power of the ace by throwing a ball over the borderline with overwhelming ball power. He did not become a winning pitcher because he did not receive support from the batters tied with no heaters until the 10th inning, but he lowered his ERA of the season from 2.90 to 2.79, solidifying his No. 1 position in the American League (AL) in this category. The number of strikeouts also surpassed 200 (204) for the third consecutive year, ranking third in the AL category. Cole is also the first player to spend three 200-strikeout seasons with the Yankees.
According to MLB.com , Cole said after the game, “It’s a great number, but there’s still a little more work to do,” adding, “200 strikeouts have been done before, and it’s a proud record.” It was possible because many people helped. The ball leaves my hands but a lot of thoughts come from other people. “I am grateful that I can stay healthy and that there are people around me who support me,” he said.
Cole, who made his 30th appearance of the season, pitched 187 innings with 13 wins, 4 losses, a 2.79 ERA, 203 strikeouts, and a WHIP 1.03 hit rate of 214. 1st place in AL ERA, innings, WHIP, 2nd place in hit rate, 3rd place in strikeouts, and 4th place in multiple wins. All major pitchers are in the top 5 and are the most likely 1st place in AL Cy Young Award. With about three weeks left in the regular season, there is no suitable opponent in sight.바카라사이트
Luis Castillo (Seattle Mariners) is mentioned as a competitor with 12 wins, 7 losses, and a 3.08 strikeout 191 in 29 games (175⅓ innings), but none of them can exceed the call. Sonny Gray of the Minnesota Twins, who is chasing Cole with the second-highest ERA, is also behind in overall performance with seven wins and six losses and a 2.98 strikeout in 28 games (163 innings). Kevin Gaussman (Toronto Blue Jays), the No. 1 strikeout player, also has 11 wins, 8 losses, and a 3.28 ERA in 28 games (167⅓ innings), but he is no match for Cole.
Cole is likely to win the award if he does not collapse significantly in his three appearances in the remaining season.
Cole, a former top prospect who was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the first overall pick in the 2011 draft, has been a top starter for 11 seasons since his debut in 2013. He was also selected six times as an All-Star in nine double-digit wins, and was recognized for his value in December 2019 with the Yankees and a nine-year total of $324 million, the highest FA jackpot ever.
However, he had no particular relationship with the Cy Young Award given to the best pitcher. In 2018, when he was with the Houston Astros, he was satisfied with second place behind his teammate Justin Verlander (Houston), and in 2021, in the second year of his transfer to the Yankees, Robbie Ray (then Toronto, now Seattle) played a surprise role and was once again in second place.
However, this year’s first Cy Young Award opportunity finally came. Although the Yankees fell to last place in the AL East (71-72 losses, winning rate of .497), Cole is struggling. He has been a full-time starter for four years since his transfer to the Yankees and has become a successful FA player, and his evaluation will go up further if he wins the Cy Young Award. Roger Clemens was the last pitcher to win a Cy Young Award for the Yankees in 2001
