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Should the Yankees Be Worried About Gerrit Cole After Last 2 Starts?

Despite his pedigree, Gerrit Cole's last two starts may raise some questions regarding his rotation slot in the playoffs.
Joe Najarian|
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole has allowed a whopping seven home runs over his last two starts.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole has allowed a whopping seven home runs over his last two starts. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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New York Yankees

The New York Yankees may have to answer a question they never thought would need to be asked.

Gerrit Cole, the ace of the Yankees' staff before Cam Schlittler's breakout this year, was knocked around by the New York Mets on Saturday. He allowed nine hits, five runs, and three homers in just 4.1 innings, digging the Bronx Bombers into an early hole that proved to be far too deep to overcome.

Although the Yankees pitched poorly as a whole in a 12-2 blowout loss, this was the second straight clunker for the 36-year-old righty. In his previous start against the San Diego Padres, Cole allowed three consecutive home runs to the first three batters of the game and another homer later in the outing, which proved to be decisive, despite going seven innings that day.

Over these last two starts, Cole has allowed a staggering seven long balls. He's also given up 15 earned runs over his last four starts dating back to August 27.

Even with Aaron Judge back in the lineup, the Yankees are still receiving somewhat inconsistent production from the offense, which is why they're so heavily dependent on the starting rotation. Therefore, when Cole allows these early-game runs, New York faces an uphill battle throughout, and when the postseason rolls around, it's more important than ever for the team to get off to a good start.

With this in mind, it's fair to start questioning where Cole slots into the Yankees' postseason rotation as October creeps closer.

Where does Gerrit Cole slot into on the Yankees' playoff staff?

Obviously, this doesn't mean Cole should be out of the playoff rotation. In fact, Cole has been consistently strong in October, and his performance will go a long way towards deciding how deep the Yankees go this year.

But when Brian Cashman infamously called the playoffs "a crapshoot", that logic can be applied to starting pitching because a starter who gets hot can carry a team all the way to a World Series. So even if the Yankees' rotation is loaded, it makes the most sense to give the most starts to the pitcher who's been on a roll.

In that regard, Schlittler would still be the Yankees' Game 1 starter. He's been the hot hand this season, and he gives New York its best shot at winning. But while Cole may have been considered the No. 2 starter upon his return in May, other arms have performed better than him since then, especially given his current rough patch.

Carlos Rodon has a legitimate case for being the No. 2 starter at the moment. Since returning to the rotation on August 18, Rodon has pitched 24 innings over five starts, allowing only six earned runs while striking out 26. In fact, he's gone the entire season without allowing more than three runs or multiple home runs in a start.

Then there's Max Fried to consider. While he's dealt with injuries, he's also been consistently strong with a 2.73 ERA and 2.73 FIP. Fried has allowed only four homers all year, and just eight hits in his 12.2 innings since coming off the IL on August 29. What it comes down to is that Rodon and Fried have stronger cases to slot in as the No. 2 or No. 3 starter compared to Cole at the moment, due to their superior recent performances.

Of course, this could change over the final two weeks of the regular season, as Cole's track record as an elite starter is impossible to ignore. But if Cole is going to get the ball in a big playoff start as he has throughout his time with the Yankees, then he has to shake off these bad outings and return to the dominant form that the team is more familiar with.

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Joe Najarian
JOE NAJARIAN

Joe Najarian is the Deputy Editor and a writer for the New York Yankees and New York Mets On SI sites. He got his bachelor’s degree in journalism with a specialization in sports from Rutgers University, graduating in 2022. Joe has previously written for Jersey Sporting News and for the New York Giants On SI site. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @JoeNajarian

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