2024 Year In Review: Gerrit Cole

Gerrit Cole was unable to replicate his 2023 Cy Young-winning season, but he still provided the New York Yankees with top-of-the-line pitching.

The righty missed time due to injury, but he was still a key component in the team’s AL East-winning season.

Cole missed the first two and a half months of the season with an elbow injury that he sustained during spring training. He made his season debut in the middle of June and went on to make 17 regular season starts. The starter went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 95 innings pitched.

Cole was then the team’s best-starting pitcher in postseason play. He made five starts and allowed seven earned runs in 27 innings. Unfortunately for Cole and the Yankees, he allowed five runs (one earned run) in Game 5 of the World Series as the Dodgers claimed the title later that night.

Cole’s best start of the season came in September against the Oakland Athletics. He pitched a complete game while holding the A’s to two hits and one run. The Yankees won the game 4-2. Cole’s next start came against the Baltimore Orioles. He shutout the opposing side over 6.2 innings and the Bronx Bombers went on to clinch the division with the victory.

Cole is set to remain with the Yankees for four more years after opting out of his contract at the end of the season, but then coming to an agreement with the team shortly after. The Yankees will continue to use Cole as their ace as the team looks to push towards a World Series title and Cole looks to build a case for the Hall of Fame.

Casey Fahrer is a 2024 graduate of Syracuse University and a contributor to Inside The Pinstripes. He can be reached at caseyfahrer716@gmail.com.