The clock is ticking on Yankees to get Gerrit Cole right before playoffs
September 13, 2026
What concerns you more if you are the Yankees:
- That Gerrit Cole allowed three homers Saturday afternoon to the Mets or that he generated just three swings and misses in 77 pitches — none on his fastball?
- That Cole has now permitted a career-worst seven homers in his past two starts or that he has two starts left in the regular season to right himself?
- That he turned 36 last week or that he is now 20 starts and more than 115 innings into his first season back after Tommy John surgery — and the Yankees need a lot more from him still if they are going to get from here to the Canyon of Heroes?
Cole was hit often and hard by the Mets. There were no flukes, no cheapies, as they produced nine hits and five runs against Cole en route to a 12-2 rout.
“There is credit to be dished out, but at the same time we expect better, right?” Cole said. “So that’s what we’ll be chasing going forward is being better.”
Cole mentioned multiple times the need for “adjustments.” And besides having an elite arm, Cole always has been able to think the game out at the highest level — he is a pitching PhD. But this is not one pitch. One location. Just lefties or righties. In other words, no easy fix.