With Gerrit Cole Back, Yankees Look Like AL’s Team to Beat

The New York Yankees should have the inside track to the top spot in the American League.

Mar 24, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole against the Chicago Cubs during spring training at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

If you're an American League team hoping to make a run this season, things are going to get a lot harder for you on Friday.

New York already has the second-best record in the American League at 29-19. The Yankees are one of just four games above .500 in the American League right now. Clearly, they already have a good chance of making some noise this year. Now, they officially will be getting the 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner and six-time All-Star Gerrit Cole back into the mix for his first start in the majors since 2024.

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported the news on X on Tuesday.

The Yankees Are Getting A Superstar Back

Gerrit Cole comes off the mound after the second inning ptching for the Hudson Valley Renegades during their game versus the Winston-Salem Dash on May 5, 2026. | Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Gerrit Cole will return to the big leagues on Friday. He’ll start vs. the Rays at Yankee Stadium," Hoch wrote.

Gerrit Cole will return to the big leagues on Friday. He’ll start vs. the Rays at Yankee Stadium.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) May 19, 2026

Again, the Yankees already are a problem. The Yankees already have the fourth-best rotation ERA in the league, plus firepower all throughout the lineup. Aaron Judge is hitting homers at a historic rate and Ben Rice has been every bit as good this season as the three-time Most Valuable Player. Rice is slashing .298/.400/.662 with a 1.062 OPS, 15 homers, 31 RBIs, 10 doubles and 35 runs scored in 43 games played.

Now, New York is getting a guy back for the rotation who arguably was the most dominant starter in the American League from 2018 through the 2023 season. From 2018 through 2023, Cole pitched in 173 games for the Houston Astros and Yankees and had a 2.93 ERA in 1,076 2/3 innings pitched. He earned five of his six All-Star nods over that stretch and his lone Cy Young Award.

Right now, the Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in the American League East — and the American League in general. With the firepower the Yankees have, they should be able to close the gap and move into the top spot fairly quickly, at least that's how the club looks on paper. New York There's a very real chance that the American League crown is going to go through New York this season.

The Yankees had a fairly quiet offseason, outside of re-signing Cody Bellinger, in large part because of the fact that Cole would be returning at some point. Well, here he is. Again, if you're an American League contender, it's going to be very hard for you to catch New York if Cole can pitch like his old self.