The New York Yankees couldn’t have hoped for a better return for former UCLA Bruin Gerrit Cole. Cole made his second start since returning from Tommy John Surgery on Wednesday, picking up a win against the Kansas City Royals.
Cole has now pitched 12.2 innings in 2026 and he’s yet to allow an earned run. The former No. 1 overall pick shined for the Yankees in his second start back, striking out 10 Royal batters without allowing a walk over 6.2 innings. Perhaps most impressively, Cole needed just 79 pitches to record the 20 outs.
When we last saw Cole in Spring Training of 2025 he was still viewed as an ace-level pitcher. While Cole is now 35-years old with nearly 2,000 MLB innings under his belt, he’s looked like the same ace since returning from elbow surgery.
But how’s Cole’s velocity? Not bad. The right-hander is currently averaging a 96.1 MPH on his fastball, which isn’t too far below his career-best mark of 97.8 MPH Cole had back in 2022. Nobody’s happier to see Cole looking strong on the mound than Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, who has Cole under contract through the 2028 season at $36 million per year.
Cole and the Yankees took their time with the rehab process, with the veteran making six minor league rehab starts before returning to the Big League club after missing the entirety of the 2025 season. New York saw what type of pitcher Cole can be in October during the 2024 World Series, posting a 0.71 earned run average in two starts against a powerful Los Angeles Dodger lineup.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Gerrit Cole has dominated since returning from Tommy John Surgery
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
