Gerrit Cole has had a great start to his 2023 baseball season. His performance led him to be named the American League Player of the Week. The NL Player of the Week award went to Zac Gallen of Arizona, who went 13.2 innings without giving up a run in his last two starts.
Gerrit Cole deserves it
In the past week, the right-hander threw 16 innings in two games. Against two earned runs, Cole struck out 13 batters and walked three. Gerrit Cole only gave up two earned runs in seven innings against the Cleveland Guardians on April 11. On Sunday, he beat that start by throwing a two-hit shutout against the Minnesota Twins. Gerrit Cole threw his fastball so well that he struck out 10 Minnesota batters. It was one of the best starts he has had as a Yankee.
Gerrit Cole was named Player of the Week because of his last two starts, but he also has a good chance of being named AL Pitcher of the Month. The Yankees ace has been great in all four of his starts so far this season, and he probably still has two more in April. Gerrit Cole has only given up three earned runs on 13 hits in 28.1 innings. He has struck out 32 batters and walked eight. In any of his starts, he has not given up more than two earned runs.
From April 10 to 16, he pitched 16 innings, which was the most in the AL. Gerrit Cole gave up seven hits, two runs, three walks, and 13 strikeouts. He had an earned run average of 1.13 and gave up a .185 OBP and a .365 OPS.
Cole is better than other starters
Even though it’s still early in the season, the Yankees starter is pitching like the best starting pitcher in baseball. Gerrit Cole is 4-0 on the year with 28.1 innings. He notched up a 0.95 ERA, a 0.74 WHIP, a 466 ERA+, a 1.91 FIP, and 10.2 strikeouts average.
Sandy Alcantra, Dylan Cease, and Julio Urias are three of the best starters in the game, but Gerrit Cole has pitched better than all of them this season. And Jacob deGrom, who might be the most talented, has been hurt a lot over the past few years. DeGrom’s ERA in his first three starts with the Texas Rangers is also 4.32.
Gerrit Cole has also shown that he is potent. He has pitched at least 200 innings in four of the last five seasons, leaving aside the 2020 season was impacted by the Covid pandemic.
At 32, Gerrit Cole seems to be in the best years of his career. This is great for the Yankees, who are trying to win their 28th World Series and need him. Cole has been an asset for them until now.
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