BREAKING: Gerrit Cole wins AL Cy Young Award

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has officially won the American League Cy Young Award.

This is Cole’s first Cy Young after years of being a regular contender. He finished second behind Robbie Ray in 2021 and again behind former Astros teammate Justin Verlander in 2019.

In 2023, he was the hands-down unanimous winner and took all of the first-place votes.

Gerrit Cole was the one positive constant in the Yankees’ lost 2023 season, his fourth in New York. He led the AL with a 2.63 ERA and 209 innings. Cole also led the league in ERA+, hits per nine innings (H/9), and his 0.98 WHIP led MLB.

Better yet, Cole also led the majors with a whopping two shutouts.

Finishing behind Cole were former Yankee Sonny Gray and Blue Jays righty Kevin Gausman. Gray posted a 2.79 ERA in his age-34 season and allowed less than a home run per nine innings (HR/9) all year. Gausman was in top form in Toronto and led the league with 237 strikeouts.

Neither held a candle to Gerrit Cole. His lineup struggled to score runs all season long. The Yankees were in absolute disarray…except for when Cole took the ball every fifth day. A true ace. Cole’s dominance let the faithful, passionate New York fans forget about the season-long struggles just for one night.

And make no mistake. Much like teammate Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole is a Yankee for life. His contract runs through 2028. Don’t worry about his opt-out clause next offseason. The Yankees can void it by adding an extra year to the contract, but it’s more likely Cole goes the CC Sabathia route: Negotiate a new extension and add a vesting option or two.

Read our digital lips. Gerrit Cole is a New York Yankee and now a Cy Young winner. And he’ll pick up right where he left off next season.