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.
