New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is surely motivated as ever to conquer this demon.
It has been almost two years since the New York Yankees fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, and Gerrit Cole still surely isn't over it.
And how could he be?
You all know why.
The Yankees were leading the Dodgers 5-0 in Game 5 with the chance to send the series back to Los Angeles for a Game 6. It was the fifth inning, and the bases were loaded with two outs. Cole then got the ground ball he wanted from Mookie Betts.
Except he failed to cover first base.
Instead of darting over to the bag like he should have, Cole furiously pointed to Anthony Rizzo, whom he apparently expected to make the play on his own. This even though everyone knows it's the pitcher's job to break to first.
Things then unraveled for New York in an embarrassing loss at Yankee Stadium.
Cole was then sidelined for all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery, missing his chance at a getback.
But now, he finally has the opportunity to conquer the demon that has haunted him since October 2024.
It hasn't been an easy road back for Cole. He missed most of the first two months of 2026 while still recovering from surgery. Once he returned, he didn't seem to skip a beat, but then went through a brutal stretch over the last month where he surrendered 11 home runs over his final seven starts. That included seven over a span of two games.
Cole ended his regular season with a 3.61 ERA, averaging 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings while recording a 5.24 K/BB ratio. Not bad for a 36-year-old coming off of Tommy John.
However, his hiccups down the stretch have many worried about his playoff prospects.
Will Cole be able to deliver? Is he still a frontline starter capable of winning a pivotal postseason game? Or is he just not that guy anymore?
If anyone should be more motivated than ever to have the best October of his life, it's Cole.
Did Cole cost the Yankees the 2024 World Series? No. Chances are, they would have lost the series even if Cole covered first base and led them to a Game 5 victory. That Dodgers team was unstoppable.
But you can bet that there is still a very sour taste in Cole's mouth even to this day.
Cam Schlittler has been New York's best pitcher all season long, and he should be the club's Game 1 starter. But you kind of get the feeling that Cole is going to be every bit as trustworthy.
Cole is on a mission, and there is a holdover demon from 2024 standing in his way. We'll see if the wily veteran can eradicate it starting next week.
