New York Yankees Ace Next to Reach Historic Milestone
The New York Yankees wanted to get one of the best pitchers in the league when they signed Gerrit Cole to a nine-year, $324 million contract during free agency.
They had seen him be a major part of ending their World Series aspirations in 2019 when the Yankees lost the ALCS to the Houston Astros.
So, the front office went and added Cole to their team that offseason with the idea that he would be the missing piece to their pitching staff.
It hasn't quite worked out that way, with New York yet to reach the World Series again since winning it in 2009.
But, Cole has been one of the most consistent and best pitchers in the league with the Yankees, regardless of what some of the fanbase might say.
It's very likely that the ace will win his first ever Cy Young award this season after posting a 13-4 record with an American League lowest 2.81 ERA entering Wednesday.
However, what's next is a historic milestone for any MLB pitcher.
Adam Wainwright became the sixth active pitcher to reach the 200-win mark for his career. He's only the 122nd person to ever accomplish this feat in the history of Major League Baseball.
Cole is next up on that list.
He has 143 wins and counting with five years left on his contract -- unless he opts-out after 2024. Even if he does opt-out, the 33-year-old will likely pitch for multiple seasons during the remainder of his career.
Wins is also a stat that means a lot to the New York ace.
"I love wins. I mean, you only get to play twice a week at the most. And the fact that every time you play you’ve got a good chance of winning the game — that’s the ultimate goal of everybody in the room," he told Tyler Kepner of The Athletic.
The workhorse nature of Cole is a dying breed in today's age of baseball.
Pitchers are throwing less and less innings during outings and throughout the season.
Once Cole reaches the 200-win mark, there's a possibility he could be one of the last to every reach that milestone.
