Gerrit Cole finally has the hardware to match his status as one of the best pitchers of his era.
The Yankees’ ace unanimously captured the American League Cy Young award on Wednesday night, the first of his career after a season in which he was dominant from start to finish.
Cole received all 30 first-place votes, beating out fellow finalists Kevin Gausman and Sonny Gray for the top pitching honor.
He became the 11th unanimous AL Cy Young winner and only the second Yankee to sweep the voting along with Ron Guidry
After twice finishing second for the Cy Young, in 2019 and 2021, Cole left no doubt this year to claim the previously elusive award.
The right-hander posted a 2.63 ERA while racking up 222 strikeouts across 209 innings and 33 starts.
He led the majors in WHIP (0.981) and the AL in ERA, starts, innings, shutouts (two) and quality starts (24).
Cole became the first Yankee to win the Cy Young since Roger Clemens in 2001 and only the sixth Yankee in franchise history, joining Clemens, Guidry, Sparky Lyle, Whitey Ford and Bob Turley.
Accomplishing the feat for the team he grew up rooting for only added to its significance.
“It’s just such an historical franchise with such historical players,” Cole said on a conference call Wednesday night. “It’s just a bit surreal to be regarded with, for example, the other five Cy Young award winners we’ve had over the years. We’ve had great pitchers in and out of this place, great players, leaders on and off the field. People that set a really high example and a really high bar of what it means to be a great Yankee. That served as an inspiration to me as a kid and obviously … served as an inspiration and the standard to shoot for.
“So it makes me tremendously proud that I’m holding up my end of the bargain in terms of those great players and those great legacies. I’m contributing to the overall brand of what we do in New York.”
While the Yankees’ rotation struggled with injuries and underperformance around him this season, Cole provided the dependability, consistency and mastery worthy of his nine-year, $324 million contract.
The 33-year-old, who prides himself on taking the ball every fifth or sixth day, allowed two runs or fewer in 26 of his 33 starts, the most in the majors.
“This recognition puts a further stamp on his career, so people understand he’s one of the absolute best of his generation,” GM Brian Cashman said in a statement.
Though his first three seasons in The Bronx were all strong, Cole took his game to another level this year.
He arrived at spring training feeling as comfortable and entrenched as he ever has in pinstripes, with the results that followed matching his mindset.
“I definitely feel more comfortable where we’re at,” Cole said. “The more settled my family and the more settled the organization and the city is rebounding off the pandemic, that overall contributes to at least feeling comfortable and getting things started off on the right foot. But looking at it over the course of my career, I just attribute it to constantly trying to get better and constantly trying to make adjustments, really.”
Throughout the year, manager Aaron Boone repeatedly pointed to Cole managing situations better than he had before, which allowed him to minimize damage when he did get into trouble.
Not only did Cole cut down on the AL-high 33 home runs he allowed in 2022 (he gave up 20 in 2023), but he also held opponents to a .197 average and a .581 OPS with runners in scoring position — right in line with his overall marks.
“This is a richly deserved award for Gerrit, and I couldn’t be happier for him,” manager Aaron Boone said in a statement. “It’s not lost on me how fortunate I am to manage such a talented and driven player. Having the opportunity to witness Gerrit’s dedication to his craft, to the game, and to his team has been a privilege. He pours so much into this. To see him finally awarded with this honor after years of coming close is incredibly exciting for all of us who share the clubhouse with him.”