Gerrit Cole not only delivers for his Yankees teammates on the mound, but he’s also the team’s reigning Cy Young Award winner when he’s not pitching.
“I think he’s a great person,” Marcus Stroman told the Post. “He’s an extremely unselfish guy, someone who just tries to help, is a light to everybody around him, and takes the time to do the best he can for his teammates no matter the situation. Even during this injury, he’s been there for us in between innings, talking to us after games and before games, giving us knowledge and trivia. He’s the type of guy who listens when he talks, because he’s very analytically and mechanically astute when it comes to baseball.
“So just having him around gives you a confidence boost, and especially when he says something about your play it gives you that extra motivation when you go out there. I’ve been a fan of his from afar, but now that I’ve seen him up close, it’s really impressive.”
Cole, who is returning from elbow inflammation during spring training, will make his season debut on a muggy Wednesday night against the Orioles under the close watch of manager Aaron Boone.
“He obviously brings a lot on the field, but he brings a lot off the field too,” Clay Holmes told the Post. “He was able to pour into his teammates what he’s always done. He just took a few seconds longer to do it. He’s involved in every pitch. The way he talks to you after the game, he’s like, he’s watching you pitch with you. That’s how engaged he is.”
“I think the last few months have just reinforced what many of us already knew about him.”
Former Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo was scheduled to play behind Cole for the first time.
“He really cares about not only how he prepares, but all the pitchers, all the guys that are always watching and giving their opinions and their perspectives, and I feel like they’re usually right,” Verdugo said.
Aaron Judge is the captain, and rightfully so, and Cole has similar leadership qualities.
“He’s just a really great guy, always wanting to share feedback and wisdom and ways to improve, not being afraid to ask questions to help his teammates improve, and always striving to be great,” Luke Weaver told The Washington Post. “I think that’s contagious. He’s definitely a vocal leader and a leader by example.”
Teammates celebrated Cole being named the 2023 Cy Young Award winner.
“He really gives it his all,” Holmes said. “A talented guy, a guy that puts in that much energy. … I mean, you just root for him, especially when he has that much potential. He’s good enough to win a Cy Young Award. Let’s hope that happens. It was definitely a great moment to see it all come to fruition and see him get rewarded.”
The Yankees entered the night trailing 16-2 at Coles Stadium.
“He’s one of those guys that you have to watch on TV every time he starts,” Verdugo said. “He really understands what he’s trying to do and what pitch he’s looking for with every pitch that he throws.”
Austin Wells faced Cole in spring training and was full of praise for his fastball.
“The way the ball moves, the way the ball comes out of his hand, the way he controls the ball makes everything else even better,” Wells told the Post.
Having their ace back is not just an emotional boost for the Yankees. Stroman knows what it will mean to opposing pitchers when they face Baltimore’s Cade Povich on Wednesday night.
“He’s an ace, a Cy Award winner, so anytime you play against him, you have to do your best to help your team win, because I think he’s a guy who’s always going to do his best,” Stroman said. “There’s a reason he’s been able to perform at a high level for so long, and I never take that for granted, especially guys who haven’t played in a while. I look up to guys like Gerrit Cole, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, guys who pitch 200 innings every year, guys like Logan Webb. I think those guys are the most valuable to a team. And like I said, Gerrit is so good with analytics that he’s essentially another coach.
“I’m really grateful to have him.”
