RADIO
Can Gerrit Cole Return to Ace Form in the Second Half of 2026?
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole had the start of his 2026 season delayed by recovery from Tommy John surgery. Since returning in late May, the veteran right-hander has recorded a 3-4 record with a 4.04 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts across 49 innings (nine starts). Cole is averaging 96.7 miles per hour on his fastball and has avoided free passes, allowing just a 5.3% walk rate. However, his strikeout rate has dipped to 22.7%, well below his career mark of 28.5%. Still, the 35-year-old's biggest issues have come from the long ball, as he's allowed 1.47 HR/9. While Cole has had issues with home runs at different points in his Yankee career, he allowed just 0.86 HR/9 in 2023 and 1.04 HR/9 in 2024. Fantasy managers should no longer expect SP1 production from Cole. However, with some slight improvement in his strikeout rate and some regression to the mean in his home run rate, Cole could still be a very valuable pitcher in the second half of the season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
