Gerrit Cole's latest struggles further prove Mets have his number

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole had another rough outing against the New York Mets on Saturday.

Cole allowed five runs on nine hits, including three homers, in just 4.1 innings. That rough outing continued a difficult four-start stretch for the Yankees ace as he has a 6.08 ERA over his last 22 innings.

While Saturday's outing can be regarded as part of a slump for Cole, his struggles against the Mets are nothing new. He had entered Saturday with a 6.99 ERA and a 1.727 WHiP in his nine starts against the Mets covering 46.1 innings. Cole had struck out 46 batters with only 18 walks, but he has allowed 14 homers to Mets hitters.

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole cannot solve New York Mets puzzle

Those struggles are not limited to Cole's time with the Pirates and Astros. He has been hit hard during the Subway Series as well, having allowed 22 runs on 34 hits, including 11 homers, and nine walks in his 23.1 innings against the Mets since joining the Yankees during the 2019-20 offseason.

Although Cole missed the 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery, he had generally pitched well since making his 2026 debut on May 22. He entered Saturday with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.090 WHiP over his 111 innings, striking out 113 batters with 22 walks. His recent struggles could simply be a matter of fatigue after missing all of last season. However, the Yankees do have time left to get Cole any additional rest needed to get him back on track.

There will likely be one definite for the Yankees as they look to have Cole regain his form for the postseason - chances are, they will not need to worry about the Mets in October.