Every year, ESPN and other news outlets in need of clickbait release their ‘Way Too Early Predictions’ for the coming baseball season. I get it, it drives up clicks, page views, engagement, all that jazz.
But this one, by MLB’s official Twitter, really takes the cake.
The introductory presser was mere hours ago.
The Cole Train only just pulled into Grand Central Station.
Gerrit Cole is still wiping the shaving cream from his mandatory Yankees grooming policy-beard removal off his face, and MLB is already asking baseball fans if he’s the ace of New York?
Give me a break. Jacob deGrom didn’t win two back-to-back Cy Young Awards while suffering the torment that is being a member of the New York Mets to be insulted like this. If you’re someone who still cares about the antiquated stat of pitcher’s win-loss record in this day and age, I remember reading that Jacob deGrom would’ve gone 30-0 in 2018, if the Mets had given him 4+ runs of support in his starts; instead, he went 10-9. As usual, deGrom deServes (see what I did there?) better.
There’s no denying that Gerrit Cole is a phenomenal pitcher. I’m not excited for whatever motley crew, hodgepodge, below-the-CBT-threshold version of the Red Sox lineup to face him 19 times in 2020. But the only pitching that has any impact on the Yankees is the pitching he’s going to do as a Yankee. If the past could help win championships, they’d put trophies in the outfield and have the 1923 pocket-watch DH instead of Giancarlo Stanton.
Yes, if you want to get technical, Gerrit Cole has a 0.00 ERA as a Yankee. I’m sure some “27 RINGS” bro has already tweeted out that skewed stat. You know why? Because as of today, and for the next three-or-so months, Gerrit Cole has pitched exactly zero innings as the member of a New York baseball team, or any New York sports team for that matter. Until he works one day on the job, he can’t be ‘the ace of New York,’ or total garbage, for that matter.
Starting now, Gerrit Cole has nine years to prove that he’s the ace of New York. Circle back to me a couple offseasons from now. Until then, New York and the rest of the baseball world should give deGrom the respect he’s earned.
Photo: MLB Twitter
I agree wholeheartedly. Let him pitch at least 100 innings first. Great point