Gerrit Cole Gives Glimmer of Hope that Early Swoon Won't Define These Yankees

The New York Yankees saw the return of their ace, Gerrit Cole, and at some point, the version of the team they have seen now will look completely different in the second half.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

This era of the New York Yankees will be defined by their captain, Aaron Judge. The other name that should be the focus is ace Gerrit Cole, who, despite a prolonged absence following Tommy John surgery, returned to the big league club as if he hadn't missed a beat. Is anybody surprised that he was able to go six scoreless innings in his return?

The Rays may have won that first game against the Yankees, extending their lead in the American League East to 5.5 games, but, in the long term, the team should feel good. The version of the Yankees that the league has seen so far — which has actually been solid despite some shortcomings and a hot Tampa team — may not be the final product come the conclusion of game 162. The reason for that has everything to do with Cole.

Welcome back, Gerrit Cole 👏

He has his first strikeout of 2026! pic.twitter.com/73ofFyiqHu

— MLB (@MLB) May 22, 2026

Barring health and the return of their other ace, Max Fried, who has looked great during workouts, the Yankees are dealing with four front line starters at the top of their rotation. Between those two, as well as Cam Schlittler, who could be the best of all of them, and Carlos Rodón, it's hard to see them going on long slumps once that rotation really gets rolling.

What a complete Yankee team could look like

Usually, the good teams are dealing with one or maybe two great arms. The Yankees have four of them who can take them into the sixth or seventh inning on a given night. In a few months, once Fried is back, the Yankees could find themselves in a position where somebody like Ryan Weathers, who has front line starter potential in his own right, may end up in the bullpen. At that point, he could provide relief for more than one inning.

New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) hands the ball to manager Aaron Boone (17) after being relieved during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

His stuff could play up well in the bullpen, too. Weathers has a 91st percentile strikeout rate and an 81st percentile walk rate. What's to say he can't run through lineups, whipping through the meat of a team's order with a healthy dose of high heat and biting sweepers that dance across the strike zone?

Then there's the chance that the Yankees add Carlos Lagrange and his 103 MPH heaters. The team may eye him for a starter role in the future, but for now, he could get his big league experience in the bullpen at some point in the summer.

All of this, of course, starts with Cole and his starting rotation. It's true that the Yankees' lineup needs to pick it up, but considering they haven't played at their best over the last week, their 113 wRC+ is still fourth in the league. If the Yankees go on one of these offensive slumps later on, their horses should be able to pick them up. It is hard to see it now, and, after yet another loss to the Rays, it's likely irritating to read this, but if this team stays healthy, they could end up being slump-proof.