Gerrit Cole
Cole's fastball velocity has dropped nearly three miles per hour since his dominant 2019 Cy Young season, yet he remains one of baseball's most reliable aces. The 36-year-old posted a 133 ERA+ over his career, anchored by that transcendent Houston campaign where he struck out 326 batters with a 2.50 ERA.
What separates Cole from other power pitchers is his durability and consistency. His 153-80 record tells the story of a pitcher who wins games, not just strikes batters out. Even as his peak velocity fades, his command and secondary pitches have evolved to maintain effectiveness.
The real test comes now. Cole's body of work suggests he can adapt to diminished stuff, but 2024 will reveal whether his cerebral approach can compensate for Father Time's inevitable toll on his four-seamer.
| Date | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | HR | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3 | 5.333 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | L |
| May 27 | 6.667 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | W |
| May 22 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — |
Career · Hitting
7 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | — | 19 | 34 | 0 | 5 | — | — | — |
| 2014 | — | 23 | 46 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 2015 | — | 33 | 60 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 2016 | — | 21 | 40 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 2017 | — | 34 | 55 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 2018 | — | 32 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | — | 33 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Career | 195 | 251 | 3 | 15 | — | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
13 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | — | 19 | 117.1 | 10 | 7 | 3.22 | — | 100 | 1.17 |
| 2014 | — | 22 | 138.0 | 11 | 5 | 3.65 | — | 138 | 1.21 |
| 2015 | — | 32 | 208.0 | 19 | 8 | 2.60 | — | 202 | 1.09 |
| 2016 | — | 21 | 116.0 | 7 | 10 | 3.88 | — | 98 | 1.44 |
| 2017 | — | 33 | 203.0 | 12 | 12 | 4.26 | — | 196 | 1.25 |
| 2018 | — | 32 | 200.1 | 15 | 5 | 2.88 | — | 276 | 1.03 |
| 2019 | — | 33 | 212.1 | 20 | 5 | 2.50 | — | 326 | 0.89 |
| 2020 | — | 12 | 73.0 | 7 | 3 | 2.84 | — | 94 | 0.96 |
| 2021 | — | 30 | 181.1 | 16 | 8 | 3.23 | — | 243 | 1.06 |
| 2022 | — | 33 | 200.2 | 13 | 8 | 3.50 | — | 257 | 1.02 |
| 2023 | — | 33 | 209.0 | 15 | 4 | 2.63 | — | 222 | 0.98 |
| 2024 | — | 17 | 95.0 | 8 | 5 | 3.41 | — | 99 | 1.13 |
| 2026 | — | 3 | 18.0 | 1 | 1 | 2.00 | — | 14 | 0.89 |
| Career | 320 | 1970.6 | 154 | 81 | — | — | 2265 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.