Gerrit Cole makes surprising admission about Paul Skenes

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole. Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole makes a surprising admission about Paul Skenes

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Mar 5, 2025 4:44 PM ET

Gerrit Cole is a Cy Young winner and a potential future Hall of Famer. He is also known as a pitching savant and a mentor to the New York Yankees' younger players. Now, we also know that Cole is a Paul Skenes fan, as he revealed in the latest episode of the "Casa De Klub" podcast.

"I've spoken to him a couple of times and offered him some advice. He's sought out some advice in some areas," Cole told his former Yankees teammate, Corey Kluber. "There's not a lot of advice I could give a guy like him. He's a really bright dude; he has a ton of discipline. He might still have a desire to serve in the military even after he’s completed his baseball career.

"A stand-up dude. I've met him a few times. I’m blown away. So I kind of just let him know I was a fan of his, and I'm an advocate of his. If he needs something, reach out. And I just pushed him to take ownership of what he's doing, but I think that quality is already there."

Cole actually has a lot to offer Skenes on and off the field.

Like Cole, Skenes is tasked with lifting a Pittsburgh Pirates franchise that has historically been reluctant to invest heavily in payroll. It was obvious that Cole, also the No. 1 overall pick in his draft class, would ultimately make his money and legacy elsewhere.

So, Cole hesitated when asked if the Pirates ownership had learned its lesson and would be ready to commit to Skenes as the face of the franchise.

"We’ll see," he said.

While Cole and other former Pirates have been critical of the franchise’s ownership, he was unusually emotional when he returned to Pittsburgh with the Yankees in 2022 — especially compared to the way he made the Houston Astros pay the first time he returned there.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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