MLB researcher Sarah Langs has reported that Gerrit Cole, starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, has surpassed Ron Guidry to claim the record for the most 10-strikeout games in the franchise’s history.
Gerrit Cole achieved this feat in his fourth season with the Yankees, recording double-digit strikeouts in 24 separate games. In comparison, it took Guidry 14 seasons to reach 23 such games, while David Cone accomplished it in five-and-a-half seasons.
Gerrit Cole’s record-breaking strikeout streak
During Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, Cole pitched 6.0 innings, striking out 11 batters and helping the Yankees secure a 3-1 lead. Left-hander Wandy Peralta took over for Cole in the bottom of the seventh inning. If the Yankees maintain their lead, Cole’s record for the season will improve to 10-2. Cole recently started for the American League in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game.
He retired all three batters he faced, including Ronald Acuña Jr. from the Atlanta Braves, Freddie Freeman from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Mookie Betts, also from the Dodgers. Since his debut in the major leagues, Cole, a former No. 1 overall pick from UCLA, has consistently been in contention for the Cy Young Award but has yet to secure the honor for himself.
In 2015, as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, he finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting, boasting a 19-8 record and a 2.60 ERA. After being traded to the Houston Astros in 2018, Cole received his next Cy Young vote, placing fifth that year and finishing as the runner-up in 2019. The Yankees signed Cole to a nine-year, $324 million contract in 2020, making him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history. He has largely lived up to expectations in the regular season, with a 45-21 record, a 3.19 ERA, and a 1.044 WHIP through 94 starts with the Yankees. He finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting in 2020, second in 2021, and ninth in 2022.
Moreover, Cole has the second-best odds to win the AL Cy Young in 2023, trailing only Framber Valdez from the Houston Astros, with odds of plus-280.In both 2019 and 2022, Cole led the American League in strikeouts. On May 23, he reached the milestone of 2,000 career strikeouts, becoming the third-fastest player in MLB history to achieve this feat. Among active players, Cole currently ranks ninth in career strikeouts, with a possibility of moving up to the sixth position by the end of the current season.
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Another great start by a starting pitcher fouled up by an asshole of a manager. The bullpen stinks now because Loone used them too much. They are pitching batting practice.