RADIO
Gerrit Cole 2024 Player Outlook: Elbow Injury Casts Doubt On 2024 Campaign
11 months agoGerrit Cole entered this year as the defacto number two starting pitcher in fantasy. An elbow issue has left a huge question mark as to what we can expect from the AL Cy Young Award winner. The early prognosis is that Cole will miss 10-12 weeks while he undergoes treatment. That would mean a return in early June which is the best-case scenario after concerns Cole might need Tommy John Surgery. When healthy, Cole is an undoubted ace. In 209.0 IP (33 starts), Cole had a 15-4 W-L record, 2.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 222 Ks. You don't have to look deep for some red flags, however. Cole's 3.60 xFIP and 3.63 SIERA suggest he was lucky to post a sub-3.00 ERA. Cole's 27.0% K% was his lowest since 2017 and his 96.7 MPH average fastball velocity was down from the 97.8 MPH he had in 2022. While regression may have been on the cards, Cole's fastball velocity was still in the 90th percentile and K% in the 76th percentile. Since 2017, Cole has totalled 1,279.2 IP and made 206 starts. Both are the most in MLB. He is also one of only two pitchers to have topped 200.0 IP in each of the last two seasons. With Cole set to miss significant time, he's a risky draft pick as there are no guarantees his recovery will go as planned.
