NEW YORK -- When he’s not pumping high-octane heaters, Gerrit Cole hasn’t been able to stop stealing glances at the blue-eyed newborn who entered his home this week, marveling at the strength that the adorable infant is already displaying. Yet when the proud papa enters the walls of Yankee Stadium, it is all business.

One day after pumping 99 mph fastballs to a hitting group that included Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks and Luke Voit, Cole said that he departed the mound even more confident in the Yankees’ chances of delivering a 28th World Series championship to The Bronx.

• Yanks' Blake on Cole: 'He's in a really good spot'

“I’ve got to say that we really like our chances. We're bullish on it,” Cole said. “Sixty games, 162 games -- when it comes down to it, players just want to compete and get after it. It’s going to be a different season, but there is only going to be one coronavirus World Series champion. That's unique in and of itself, and I don't see why you wouldn't want to take that trophy home.”

Between the baseball’s return and a new arrival, this promises to be a week that Cole and his wife Amy will never forget. The couple welcomed Caden Gerrit Cole at 7:47 p.m. on Tuesday, weighing in at 7 pounds and 13 ounces. Cole said that even with a newborn at home in this altered environment, he has no reservations about suiting up to lead the Bombers’ staff.

“So far, the testing has been robust,” Cole said. “I certainly have confidence in my teammates and the Yankees to keep us safe. My gosh, we worked like five months on this protocol with a lot of outside counsel, so both of us want me to play. If there's obviously some significant breakouts or something that would really kind of put us in danger, we may adjust. But I have faith that we can get through this and get through it safely.”

When Spring Training halted on March 12, Cole continued his throwing program at home in Greenwich, Conn., where Yankees manager Aaron Boone frequently joined him for flat-ground throwing sessions. Right-hander Adam Ottavino shared his indoor mound with Cole, who threw three simulated innings on Thursday with a fastball that pitching coach Matt Blake said was clocked between 95-99 mph.

“There's a fine balance of not trying to throw useless bullets, but also trying to maintain some of that stress so that you can keep the tissue activated and keep the body repaired to be able to ramp up really quickly,” Cole said. “I’ve responded really well to the three innings [on Thursday], so I think the work that I put in up to this point has prepared me really well.”

Blake has said that he anticipates adding about 10 pitches per outing to Cole’s workload. Should he advance without issue, Cole said that he envisions being able to toss about 80 pitches and five innings on Opening Day, which is scheduled for July 23 or 24.

“I'm honored to do it,” Cole said. “I've prepared this entire summer to be put in that position, so I fully expect to be ready to go.”

Cole said that he believes that baseball’s return will be a positive development after several difficult months in the New York City area and around the world.

“There's a connection with the fans that each team has with its city and players,” Cole said. “We can bring some smiles to people's faces and bring some joy through some of these tough times. Hopefully we can keep all of us safe as we go about it and set an example in how we go about our work at the field. I think we're looking forward to all those opportunities.”