TAMPA, Fla. – Gerrit Cole is showcasing a new windup this spring, an over-the-head start to his motion that at once feels new, yet carries a hint of throwback.
So far, the results look vintage.
Returning from Tommy John surgery performed last March, Cole tossed an inning of live batting practice on Friday morning at George M. Steinbrenner Field, facing a group that included Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham.
“I would say it’s gone very well,” Cole told MLB Network this week. “We’ve hit every marker that we’ve tried to hit. We’re in the parameters of what we’re looking for. The level of execution has been very high.”
Scheduled to throw 26 pitches, Cole struck out Grisham and Stanton before Judge lifted a fly ball down the right-field line.
Grisham connected on a flare that landed in shallow left-center field, Stanton sent a fly ball toward deep left field and Cole walked Judge to complete the session.
It marked the second time facing hitters this spring for Cole, who sat 95-96 mph with his fastball and touched 97 mph during his first session on Feb. 21. The stadium scoreboard did not display pitch speeds on Friday.
“I hadn’t really been anywhere close to that in my bullpens,” Cole said. “But when the big dogs are in the box, you want to do everything you can to prevent the ball from coming back at your face. I guess the adrenaline raised it up a little bit.”
The Yankees have said they expect Cole to rejoin the rotation in late May or early June. Cole won the American League Cy Young Award in 2023. He missed all of the '25 season after experiencing elbow pain last March.
Cole said the new windup originated while playing catch late last year.
“I was just goofing around one day, trying to make light of the monotony during last summer. It felt good,” Cole said. “I liked the rhythm. I just kind of stuck with it.”