Home Run Bug Continues to Haunt Yankees' Gerrit Cole vs Mets

The New York Yankees came into Saturday's game against the rival New York Mets feeling good.

After all, the Yankees took the opener game from the Mets, kicking off the Subway Series. And in the second game, the team handed the ball off to ace Gerrit Cole.

But so far, Cole hasn't looked like himself once again. Through the first three innings of the game, Cole has given up three home runs to the Mets, seeing the team go down 4-0 early in the game.

Cole has allowed home runs to Francisco Lindor, Luis Torrens, and Carson Benge to kick off his outing. This wasn't the start that Cole or the Yankees had envisioned coming into the matchup.

While a bad outing like this shouldn't be a cause for concern, this is now the second time in a row that Cole has been rocked for home runs. In his last outing against the San Diego Padres, the right-hander allowed back-to-back-back home runs to open the game.

Cole downplayed the home runs, but it's now becoming a potentially concerning trend for the Yankees.

“They put really good swings on the ball,” Cole said. “Sometimes it is what it is. You’ve got to separate that from doing your job, which is to continue to take it one pitch at a time and leave the mistakes behind you. You keep working.”

For the year, Cole has recorded a 3.41 ERA over 19 starts, entering this game against the Mets. The right-hander made his way back from Tommy John surgery that kept him out of the entire 2025 season.

The Yankees have been happy with Cole's performance so far this season, but his struggles this close to the postseason are alarming. This team will be counting on Cole heavily once the playoffs begin, and they can't afford for him to keep allowing this many home runs each start.
If the Yankees want to win this game against the Mets, the offense is going to need to get going. New York just activated slugger Aaron Judge from the injured list earlier this week.

Judge has recorded three hits through his first three games back from injury. But he has yet to hit a home run, but the Yankees may need some sort of spark in this game against the Mets.

Cole is an experienced pitcher, so he will likely figure everything out. But these struggles will be something to watch as the season goes on.