New York Yankees Shouldn't Panic About Gerrit Cole — Yet

For the second straight start, New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole got shelled early and often, surrendering three home runs in a loss to the New York Mets on Saturday.

That came after Cole was tagged for four homers — including back-to-back-to-back dingers to start the game — against the San Diego Padres earlier in the week.

The seven homers that Cole has coughed up over his last couple of outings is the most he has ever surrendered across two starts in his career, which obviously raised some cause for concern given that he missed all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery.

However, there doesn't appear to be any reason to panic just yet.

Generally, a dip in velocity is a telltale sign that something is physically wrong with a pitcher, but Cole's velocity is still there. He's just missing his spots.

“A straightforward observation is that the hitters are seeing the ball well and being able to deliver good (swings) to it, regardless of the pitch type or, really, the location," Cole said after the game.

The problem is Cole doesn't have a whole lot more time to get things figured out.

The right-hander is scheduled to make just two more regular-season starts, so he needs to get himself right very, very soon.

And if we're being honest, Cole has looked questionable four starts in a row now. He also gave up three runs on six hits over six innings in a loss to the Houston Astros on Aug. 27, and while the 36-year-old won his start against the Los Angeles Angels on Sept. 1, he permitted three runs on eight hits across 5.1 frames.

Something is clearly wrong, and it could be mechanical if nothing else. Cole says he's healthy, and he looks healthy. But he obviously isn't on his game at the moment.

If anyone can figure it out, it's Cole, who had been thoroughly dominant for an extended stretch before his recent slide. He owns a 3.67 ERA and 1.13 WHIP on the year, and his 5.32 K/BB ratio is his best mark since 2021. Overall, he's been good.

It's also worth noting that Cole has always generally been home-run prone. He gave up an American League-worst 33 long balls in 2022. Back in 2019 when he finished second in AL Cy Young voting with the Astros, he allowed 29 homers. And during his final campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017, he surrendered 31 gopher balls.

Pitchers who frequently challenge hitters generally give up a lot of home runs. Just ask Cole's former Houston teammate Justin Verlander, who was clocked for 36 homers in 2019 when he beat out Cole for the Cy Young award. Verlander then gave up 34 in 2022 ... and still won another Cy Young.

Of course, the issue for Cole is the frequency of it over his last couple of outings. It's happening far more often than normal, and it needs to change.

The clock is ticking for the six-time All-Star, but the smart money is on him righting the ship.