The highest-paid pitcher in baseball notched double-digit strikeouts for the 24th time in pinstripes, moving him into first place in the franchise's storied history.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole has surpassed Ron Guidry for the most 10-strikeout games in franchise history, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs.
Midway into his fourth season in the Bronx, Cole has reached double-digit strikeouts in 24 separate outings. It took Guidry 14 seasons to reach 23, while it took David Cone five-and-a-half to get to 21.
Cole punched out 11 batters in 6.0 innings on Sunday, allowing New York to jump ahead of the Colorado Rockies 3-1. Left-hander Wandy Peralta relieved Cole in the bottom of the seventh inning of the series rubber match in Denver.
So far this season, Cole owns a 2.78 ERA and 1.089 WHIP. His record will improve to 10-2 if the Yankees hold on to win Sunday.
Cole started for the American League in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, retiring all three National League batters he faced – Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts.
The former No. 1 overall pick out of UCLA has been a constant Cy Young contender ever since he broke into the majors, but he has yet to secure the award for himself.
Cole finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2015 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, putting up a 19-8 record and 2.60 ERA for a 98-win playoff team. Cole didn't earn another Cy Young vote until he was traded to the Houston Astros in 2018, placing fifth that year and finishing as the runner up in 2019.
The Yankees made Cole the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history in 2020, giving him a nine-year, $324 million contract that he has largely lived up to in the regular season.
Cole is 45-21 with a 3.19 ERA and 1.044 WHIP through 94 starts since joining New York. He finished fourth for the AL Cy Young in 2020, second in 2021 and ninth in 2022.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Cole has the second-best odds to win the AL Cy Young in 2023 at plus-280, only trailing Astros ace Framber Valdez.
Cole led the American League in strikeouts in both 2019 and 2022. Cole reached 2,000 career strikeouts back on May 23, becoming the third-fastest player in major league history to hit that mark. Among active players, Cole ranks ninth in career strikeouts, and he could move up to No. 6 on that list by the end of this season.
Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.