As Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole reported to Tampa for 2023 MLB spring training on Thursday, he was very candid in his thoughts about the franchise being swept by the Astros in the ALCS to end the 2022 season.
“We got waxed,” Cole said. “So anytime you get waxed, it doesn’t feel good, whether you’re going to the salon or you’re on the baseball field.”
Cole allowed three earned runs in Game 3 of the ALCS before Houston ended the series in Game 4 with a 6–5 victory and went on to win their second World Series title. Prior to the ’22 campaign, the Astros defeated the Yankees in the ’17 and ’19 ALCS. The Yankees have not made a World Series appearance since ’09.
The recent comments from the 32-year-old align with what he said following the franchise’s loss to Houston in October, saying the Astros defeated the Yankees in “every facet”.
“I watched the series, and I didn’t really see an area where we played better than them,” Cole said.
Cole, who came to the Bronx in ’20, has led MLB in strikeouts (594) and sits fourth in innings pitched since joining the franchise, according to FanGraphs. However, the five-time All-Star has surrendered a plethora of home runs. Through 75 games as a starter for the Yankees, Cole has allowed 71 home runs, the fourth most in MLB. In the ’22 campaign alone, Cole allowed a career-high 33 home runs and a mark that was first among AL pitchers.
Cole hopes things will be different in the ’23 season. Despite his recent struggles with home runs, he has finished in the top five of Cy Young Award voting in four of the past five seasons.
