Yankees' Gerrit Cole Gives Advice to Pittsburgh Pirates Young Star

Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees offered advice for Paul Skenes ahead of his Pittsburgh Pirates debut.

Sep 27, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankee starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) delivers / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has yet to pitch this season. Cole suffered an elbow injury in Spring Training and has been recovering since.

The right-hander, known as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, made his debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013 after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2011.

The Pirates will welcome Paul Skenes to the big leagues on Saturday, giving them a pitcher who they hope can do what Cole has done in his career. Skenes, a flame-throwing right-hander, was drafted No. 1 overall by the organization in 2023. 

Cole, knowing what it takes to pitch in Pittsburgh, offered him some advice. Saying more than advice, the Yankees star praised the type of pitcher he is.

“I’m just rooting for him to make it,” Cole said via The New York Post. “Some can just pick up a ball and throw it like that. I’d say it’s safe to say he has one of those kinds of arms and now we’re in an environment that allows you to max out sooner.”

Skenes, just 21 years old, had a 0.99 ERA in 27 1/3 innings pitched in Triple-A this season. He's only pitched in 34.0 innings at the minor league level but has allowed just seven earned runs and one home run in that span.

His 55 strikeouts prove why many are as high as they are on the LSU product.

The Pirates are building something, already having a legitimate ace in Jared Jones, a 22-year-old out of California. Jones has a 2.63 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 41.0 innings pitched this season.

For New York and Cole, the hope is that he returns within the next month or two. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that his timeline has been moved to mid-June, which isn't the biggest concern yet given the pitching has held up well.