Yankees fans who can't wait see Gerrit Cole pitching in pinstripes at the Stadium for the first time will get the next best thing tonight at George M. Steinbrenner Field, when the ace right-hander makes his Yanks spring debut vs. the Pirates at 6:35 p.m. ET.

Cole, who went 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA and a Majors-leading 326 strikeouts in 33 starts last season with the Astros, was unrivaled as the biggest catch available on the free-agent market this past offseason. The Yankees reeled him in with a nine-year, $324 million contract that established a new record for pitchers.

Cole's impressive track record, combined with the record deal, has created plenty of excitement in advance of his debut.

“Everything with Gerrit has been highly anticipated; his first bullpen, his first live [BP] session,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday. “Obviously, I'm sure there will be a little buzz around the park tomorrow with him going in a night game. I think we're all excited for him to start building toward the start of the season.”

Cole, 29, was drafted first overall by the Pirates in 2011 (after also being selected in the first round by the Yankees three years earlier but not signing), and he spent his first five big league seasons in Pittsburgh before being dealt to the Astros prior to the ’18 season.

Cole is expected to pitch just one inning Monday night, while Brett Gardner, Gary Sánchez and Giancarlo Stanton are also expected to be in New York’s lineup.