Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Alan Cole (born September 8, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros. Cole played for the baseball team at Orange Lutheran High School and was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft. Cole opted not to sign and instead attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he played college baseball for the UCLA Bruins.
Gerrit Cole
145–76
3.19
2,157
1.09
After his college baseball career the Pirates made Cole the first overall selection in the 2011 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2013 and was named the National League (NL) Rookie of the Month in September 2013. He was named the NL Pitcher of the Month for April 2015, and an MLB All-Star in 2015. The Pirates traded Cole to the Astros in the 2017–18 offseason. On September 18, 2019, Cole became the 18th pitcher in major league history to strike out at least 300 batters in a season.[1] On December 16, 2019, the Yankees signed Cole to a franchise record nine-year, $324 million contract, the largest contract total in major league history for a pitcher.[2]
Cole is a member of the 2022 class of the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame. He also is the franchise record-holder for strikeouts in a single season for both the Astros (2019) and the Yankees (2022), with 326 and 257 respectively. Cole won the 2023 American League Cy Young Award via unanimous vote.
College career[edit]
John Savage, coach of the UCLA Bruins, made Cole the team's Friday night starting pitcher in his freshman year.[3] That season, Cole recorded a 4–8 win-loss record with a 3.49 ERA, collecting 104 strikeouts in 85 innings. Cole was a member of the 2009 United States collegiate national baseball team and was named to the 2010 Collegiate National Team roster.[11][12][13] He competed in the 2010 World University Baseball Championship.
During UCLA's 2010 season, Cole and Trevor Bauer contributed in making the Bruins the best baseball team (51–17 record) in school history and the second-best team in the country. Cole had an 11–4 win–loss record, a 3.37 ERA, and 153 strikeouts in 123 innings.[3] His 153 strikeouts placed Cole third among collegiate pitchers.[14] The Bruins went on to play in the 2010 College World Series, but were defeated by South Carolina in the NCAA Championship Series.[15]
Cole's statistics declined in 2011, his junior year. He finished the season with a 6–8 win-loss record and a 3.31 ERA, with 119 strikeouts in 114+1⁄3 innings.[16][17]
Professional career[edit]
Draft and minor leagues[edit]
Heading into the 2011 MLB draft, Cole, Bauer, and Danny Hultzen, who was also a college pitcher, were seen as among the best available talents in the draft.[18] The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Cole with the first overall selection. He signed a minor league contract with an $8 million signing bonus, the highest signing bonus ever offered to a rookie, 15 minutes before the signing deadline on August 15, 2011.[19][20] Though he signed too late to pitch in the 2011 minor league season, he pitched for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League (AFL). He recorded 16 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched for the Solar Sox and had a 3.00 earned run average (ERA) and a 0.93 walks plus hits per inning pitched ratio (WHIP). He was selected to start the AFL Rising Stars game in November 2011.[21]
The Pirates invited Cole to spring training in 2012 as a non-roster invitee, but they optioned him to the minor leagues.[22] Cole started the 2012 season with the Bradenton Marauders of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, along with fellow starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, the Pirates' first selection in the 2010 MLB draft.[23] Cole was named a FSL Mid-Season All-Star. He was promoted to the Altoona Curve of the Class AA Eastern League on June 15, 2012.[24] He was named to appear in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game.[25] In twelve starts with the Curve, Cole pitched to a 2.90 ERA, before the Pirates promoted him to the Indianapolis Indians of the Class AAA International League on August 29, 2012.[26]
Prior to the 2013 season, Cole was ranked as the ninth best prospect in baseball by MLB.com.[27] Cole played for the Indianapolis Indians to start the 2013 season. Cole pitched to a 5–3 record and a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts for Indianapolis.[28]
Pitching style[edit]
Cole is a power pitcher who features a four-seam and two-seam fastball that he regularly throws around 97 mph,[86] but has been clocked as high as 102 miles per hour (164 km/h) in college.[87] He also throws a slider, knuckle curve, changeup, and as of 2022 has reintroduced his cutter which is a pitch he has not thrown since college.[88] Between 2017 and 2018, due to his increased spin rate and a more complete arm deceleration and follow-through, his fastball got a lower WHIP, and used his sinker less often, no longer "pitching to contact".[89] Like Pedro Martinez, he throws from a low three-quarters position.[90] In the first round of 2019 ALDS, his strikeout pitches were high fastballs, sliders and knuckle curveballs which curve down and away from right-handed batters.[91]
Personal life[edit]
Cole is the elder son of Mark and Sharon. He has one younger sister, Erin.[3] Erin attended UCLA, where she played for the Bruins' soccer team.[93] Cole grew up as a fan of the New York Yankees, as his father – raised in Syracuse, New York – passed down his affinity for the Yankees to his son.[94] Cole is of Italian descent.[95]
Cole attended the 2001 World Series, in which the Yankees took part.[7][8] He held a sign that said "YANKEE FAN TODAY TOMORROW FOREVER", and a photograph shared by Newsday went viral in 2019 when news of his signing with the Yankees was reported.[96] He brought the sign to his introductory press conference with the Yankees.[97]
In the same introductory press conference with the Yankees, Cole thanked the late Marvin Miller, the former executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association and National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, along with late Curt Flood, for their pivotal roles in establishing free agency for Major League Baseball players.[98][99][100]
Cole is married to Amy Crawford, a former UCLA softball player and the sister of St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Brandon Crawford. They met when they attended UCLA.[101] On January 1, 2020, Amy announced their first pregnancy.[102] Their son Caden Gerrit Cole was born on June 30, 2020.[103] Their second son Everett was born on January 2, 2023. They reside in Greenwich, Connecticut.[104][105]
Cole has a passion for cooking, and he and his wife have a blog where they discuss their favorite recipes.
Cole is musically inclined and plays piano and guitar. In addition, Cole can read sheet music.
On December 4, 2020, Cole was elected to the MLBPA's Executive Subcommittee.[106]
As of 2023, Cole still drives his white 2006 Toyota Tacoma, which he has had since high school and UCLA, as it was a gift from his father.[107][108]