Gerrit Cole has most important tool to succeed with Yankees
Gerrit Cole
The four pitches elite starters possess are in place. The body measures at a rugged 6-foot-4  225 pounds.  He  made 33 starts this past season featuring a fastball that reaches 100 mph.
All of that may have been enough for  Gerrit Cole  to succeed in Pittsburgh  but if the Pirates and Yankees close the much-discussed swap of the right-hander for prospects  there is a big question that canât be answered by speed guns  the teeth of the slider or the action on the change-up: How will  Cole  handle New York?
âHe is ultra-competitive and tough as nails ââ the person said of  Cole   who was taken in the first round of the 2008 draft by the Yankees out of Orange Lutheran High School in California but went to UCLA. âThe kid is tough and driven. [The Yankees] will love his makeup. The fans will love him  too.ââ
That will only happen if  Cole  wins.
As for  Cole  the pitcher  his fastball is above average and he works each side of the plate with it  and there is a curveball  a slider and a change-up.
âHis fastball is plus  plus ââ the NL talent evaluator said of the four-seamer that averaged 96 mph this past season and touched triple digits  according to BrooksBaseball and PITCHf/x. âHe can ride  it  and run  it  at both sides of the plate.ââ
His slider and change-up  which  Cole  fades away from left-handed hitters  averaged 89 mph and his curve was at 81.
Yet before  Cole  is penciled in for 20 wins and the AL Cy Young  there is a red flag hard to ignore: this past season   Cole  was bit by the home run ball for the first time in  his  career. In 33 starts   he  gave up 31 homers. From 2013 to 2016   Cole  made 94 starts and surrendered 36 homers.
â He  has the four pitches which you want  but when  he  runs into trouble  he  gets away from throwing downhill and throws uphill ââ the scout said. âThatâs where the home runs came from.ââ
With Luis Severino replacing Tanaka as the staff ace   Cole  could slot in anywhere from two to four in the rotation.
While last yearâs homers are a concern   Cole  is 59-42 with a career 3.50 ERA in 127 big league starts. Despite a pedestrian 12-12 record and 4.26 ERA last year  Cole âs hits (199) to innings pitched (203) were good as were the 196 strikeouts and 53 walks.
The four pitches elite starters possess are in place. The body measures at a rugged 6-foot-4  225 pounds.  He  made 33 starts this past season featuring a fastball that reaches 100 mph.
All of that may have been enough for   [TGT] to succeed in Pittsburgh  but if the Pirates and Yankees close the much-discussed swap of the right-hander for prospects  there is a big question that canât be answered by speed guns  the teeth of the slider or the action on the change-up: How will  Cole  handle New York?
âHe is ultra-competitive and tough as nails ââ the person said of  Cole   who was taken in the first round of the 2008 draft by the Yankees out of Orange Lutheran High School in California but went to UCLA. âThe kid is tough and driven. [The Yankees] will love his makeup. The fans will love him  too.ââ
That will only happen if   [TGT]   wins.
As for   [TGT]   the pitcher   [TGT]  fastball is above average and  [TGT]  works each side of the plate with it  and there is a curveball  a slider and a change-up.
âHis fastball is plus  plus ââ the NL talent evaluator said of the four-seamer that averaged 96 mph this past season and touched triple digits  according to BrooksBaseball and PITCHf/x. âHe can ride  it  and run  it  at both sides of the plate.ââ
 [TGT]  slider and change-up  which   [TGT]   fades away from left-handed hitters  averaged 89 mph and  [TGT]  curve was at 81.
Yet before   [TGT]   is penciled in for 20 wins and the AL Cy Young  there is a red flag hard to ignore: this past season    [TGT]   was bit by the home run ball for the first time in   [TGT]   career. In 33 starts    [TGT]   gave up 31 homers. From 2013 to 2016    [TGT]   made 94 starts and surrendered 36 homers.
â He  has the four pitches which you want  but when  he  runs into trouble  he  gets away from throwing downhill and throws uphill ââ the scout said. âThatâs where the home runs came from.ââ
With Luis Severino replacing Tanaka as the staff ace    [TGT]   could slot in anywhere from two to four in the rotation.
While last yearâs homers are a concern    [TGT]   is 59-42 with a career 3.50 ERA in 127 big league starts. Despite a pedestrian 12-12 record and 4.26 ERA last year   [TGT]  âs hits (199) to innings pitched (203) were good as were the 196 strikeouts and 53 walks.