The Yankees have been without their ace Gerrit Cole since March, but that hasn’t stopped their pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation, from being one of the league’s best. In fact, it’s reasonable to say that pitching has been the primary factor behind the Yankees’ early success. As of May 12, the Yanks boast an ERA of 3.10, good for second in MLB behind the Boston Red Sox. Their starting rotation, which became a source of worry after Cole’s injury, is currently seventh in ERA at 3.35 after Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Rays. They also rank in the top five of almost every major team pitching statistic.
Yankees Rotation Thriving, Even Without Gerrit Cole
Veterans Keep Rotation Afloat
After Gerrit Cole went down with an elbow injury in spring training, New York only leaned more on established veterans Marcus Stroman and Carlos Rodón to bolster their starting rotation. Both have pitched well, but it’s a big deal to see Rodón finally succeeding in the Bronx. After the Yankees gave the lefty a hefty $162 million deal following his All-Star 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants, Rodón’s first year in pinstripes was a complete dud.
Over this offseason, though, Rodón revamped his repertoire to include a sneaky cutter, which has been a great addition to his 4-seam/slider combo, and the results certainly speak for themselves: four of his eight starts have been quality starts, which is already more than his 2023 total (three). Though Rodón’s bounce-back season has been notable, two of his contemporaries behind him in the rotation have stolen the show.
Schmidt and Gil Dazzle After Rough 2023
Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil have been stellar in the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation, respectively. They’ve combined for seven of the Yankees’ 26 wins, not to mention they both have an ERA below 3.00. What’s more impressive, however, is that both players were not locks to be starters before spring training. Schmidt is coming off a 2023 season that saw him post a 9-9 record with a 4.64 ERA, both of which were last amongst Yankees starters (aside from the injured Nestor Cortes), so 2024 was a make-or-break year for the 28-year-old Georgia native.
The Yankees’ 2-0 win against the Rays on Friday, which saw Schmidt match a career-high of 6 2/3 shutout innings, serves as a huge step forward for the right-hander. In a postgame interview, Schmidt made it clear that he wants to continue improving and going deeper into games:
“It’s uncharted territory finally to be able to get there tonight. Obviously, it’s a big talking point. So I try to block out the noise and not worry about it, but I know what I’m capable of doing. And I know I’m very well capable of controlling my pitch count and going deeper into games. It’s a big step in the right direction.”
As for Gil, he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022, which kept him sidelined for most of 2022 and all of 2023. Subsequently, the 25-year-old was understandably eager to get back on the mound in 2024, and he more than proved himself in spring training. So when Gerrit Cole went down with an elbow injury before the start of the season, manager Aaron Boone gave Gil the opportunity to become the fifth starter in the Yankees rotation, and he has not disappointed.
Besides his MLB-leading 24 walks, Gil has put up some amazing numbers so far in 2024. He has a 2.51 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts in 43.0 innings, plus a whopping .144 BAA. Will he maintain these numbers? Maybe, but probably not. But even upon Cole’s return, Gil has done more than enough to warrant a spot in the rotation.
Cole’s Impact from the Sidelines
Though Cole hasn’t been able to help the Yankees on the field, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t made an impact. Cole has essentially been an extra pitching coach, sitting in on his fellow pitchers’ bullpen sessions and giving them tips and insights between innings. All Yankees starters have talked about Cole’s tremendous influence on the team’s pitching performance, but as useful as he’s been as a second pitching coach, the team will always be better off with the 2023 AL Cy Young winner on the mound.
Cole threw his third bullpen session since going on the IL on Saturday. He totaled 29 pitches—including 13 curveballs—topping off at 89 mph. Cole is satisfied so far with his progress, and he will stay in Tampa to pitch another bullpen on Tuesday. As for when he will return to the mound, his current status suggests sometime in June.
Until then, the Yankees’ pitching will have to keep performing as it has so far this season. The offense has been good enough to win games, but hasn’t been overly consistent: they’ve been shut out five times already this year. As a result, New York has relied and will have to keep relying on pitching as the basis for winning games. And from the looks of it, that will not be a problem, even though they’re missing the on-field talents of one of the game’s best pitchers.
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