New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole still has a very big problem heading into the MLB playoffs.
New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole had his best start in quite some time on Friday night, tossing six innings of two-run ball in a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Cole allowed four hits while registering six strikeouts, and his control remained sharp without any walks. He did surrender yet another home run, but for the most part, this was a solid outing by the right-hander.
However, one problem persisted for Cole: his whiff rate.
Cole generated just six swings-and-misses on 62 strikes against the Diamondbacks, marking a 15 percent whiff rate. And while that was better than his eight percent rate against the New York Mets in his preceding start, it's still not good.
In fact, on the season as a whole, Cole has posted a 21.3 percent whiff rate, which places him in the 18th percentile in baseball.
Cole has been declining in that area for quite some time now, but this season has been particularly bad in that department.
Now, thanks to Cole's pinpoint control and his ability to paint corners, he still owns a 9.1 K/9 rate this year, a testament to just how good of a pitcher he is.
And while his average fastball velocity (96.8 mph) still ranks in the 85th percentile, his secondary stuff is simply not as lethal anymore.
Cole has still managed to log a 3.63 ERA in spite of his question marks this season, but the days of him being a bona fide ace appear to be over.
It also begs the question of whether or not he would be the Yankees' best option for a No. 2 starter in the playoffs. We know that Cam Schlittler will be the lead arm. But will Cole get the nod over Max Fried? An argument can even be made for Carlos Rodon, who has been very good when healthy this season.
Chances are, Aaron Boone will hand the No. 2 job to Cole because he's Gerrit Cole and because he has been good for most of 2026. But the fact that Cole's stuff is clearly declining — and right before the postseason — is a major concern.
Cole is smart enough where he can find ways to work around his ace stuff no longer being there. We just saw it in Arizona on Friday night. But can the Yankees trust him enough at this stage to get a pivotal Game 2 start?
We're about to find out.
