Gerrit Cole Showed New York Yankees What They Needed to See
Gerrit Cole looked like Gerrit Cole again.
That sentence alone carried more weight inside Yankees camp than any radar gun reading ever could.
For the first time since the 2024 World Series, the New York Yankees watched their ace stand on a mound, rear back, and let a fastball fly with conviction.
And for the first time in nearly a year, there was proof that the franchise cornerstone is not just recovering — he is returning.
The Yankees have been navigating life without Cole since October 30, 2024, when he last took the ball in Game 5 of the World Series.
What followed was uncertainty, surgery, and an entire 2025 season played without the man who won the 2023 American League Cy Young Award.
Tommy John surgery last March sidelined him for all of 2025.
The absence left a rotation scrambling and a clubhouse waiting.
But over the weekend in 2026 spring training, Cole delivered something more valuable than words.
He delivered velocity.
During his first live batting practice session facing hitters since surgery, Cole was clocked at 96.9 miles per hour.
That number resonated across camp.
It was not a soft 92 in February.
It was not a cautious 93 while building up.
It was 96.9 mph.
In February.
Facing real hitters.
ESPN’s Buster Olney wasted no time highlighting what that meant.
“[Cole] throwing in the Yankees camp on Saturday was clocked at 96.9 miles per hour,” Olney said.
“He’s coming back from Tommy John surgery. They have said quietly that they’re really optimistic about where he is, and he backed that up with how he looked on the mound the other day.”
Those were not hollow reassurances.
They were supported by radar data and visual confirmation.
Cole threw approximately 20 pitches in the session.
He faced Trent Grisham.
He faced Aaron Judge.
He faced Jasson DomĂnguez.
And he attacked the zone.
For a pitcher who underwent elbow reconstruction less than a year ago, the combination of command and velocity spoke volumes.
Inside the Yankees clubhouse, the mood shifted noticeably.
There is a different energy when an ace looks like himself.
And Cole did not appear tentative.
He did not look guarded.
He looked aggressive.
Tim Kurkjian expanded on what this early arm strength could signal for the Yankees’ 2026 outlook.
“Their starting pitching has a chance to be really good, and it’s typical Cole to surprise us with how physically apt he is at everything,” Kurkjian said.
“Come back this quickly and be throwing this hard. Give him a couple months, but if he shows up on June 1st, throwing 98 miles an hour, what a boost that would be for what’s already a pretty good rotation.”
That projection matters.
Because the Yankees won 94 games in 2025 without Cole.
They advanced to the postseason.
But they were eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series.
They competed without their ace.
Now imagine that same roster fortified by a healthy Gerrit Cole in June.
The equation changes immediately.
Cole himself has publicly targeted a return window of 14 to 18 months following surgery.
Yankees officials have echoed that expectation, pointing toward a June activation.
The organization has been cautiously optimistic.
But optimism becomes tangible when the fastball touches 97 before March even arrives.
There was another subtle development during his outing.
Cole debuted a mechanical adjustment.
He now brings his hands over his head during his windup.
Prior to surgery, he utilized a chest-high set position.
The change may appear minor to casual observers.
But in pitching mechanics, small tweaks can create meaningful differences in timing, balance, and stress distribution on the elbow.
Whether this adjustment reduces strain or enhances rhythm will be monitored closely.
What matters now is that the delivery looked fluid.
The arm slot looked natural.
The ball came out clean.
Cole’s last competitive outing remains etched in Yankees memory.
Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
After that appearance, he made just two spring training starts in 2025 before surgery five days later.
The abrupt shutdown created a void that lingered all season.
Carlos RodĂłn attempted to shoulder more responsibility.
Clarke Schmidt fought through his own recovery from Tommy John surgery and will miss a significant chunk of 2026 as well.
The rotation survived, but it lacked its centerpiece.
That is why the Yankees traded for Ryan Weathers from Miami.
Weathers, a former first-round pick, has already touched 98.5 mph in his first live session this spring.
He is expected to absorb innings early while Cole continues building stamina.
The strategy reflects contingency planning.
But contingency plans are no substitute for a Cy Young-caliber arm.
Cole’s career résumé reinforces why this comeback carries such significance.
He is a perennial strikeout leader.
He is a big-game performer.
He is the pitcher teammates want taking the ball in October.
His 2023 Cy Young season validated his standing among the elite.
And even at 35 years old, his early rehab footage suggests the raw stuff remains intact.
The Yankees do not need Cole to be superhuman in April.
They need him dominant in the second half.
They need him commanding playoff games.
They need him neutralizing division rivals when margins tighten.
If the fastball remains this lively, that vision becomes realistic.
February radar readings are not championships.
But they are indicators.
Velocity after Tommy John surgery often returns gradually.
Some pitchers take months to regain prior levels.
Cole appears ahead of schedule.
That alone provides psychological lift.
The Bronx faithful have been waiting anxiously.
They needed to see it.
They needed to hear the pop of the catcher’s mitt.
They needed confirmation that their ace still owns a mid-to-upper-90s fastball.
And they got it.
If Cole indeed returns around June 1 throwing 97 or 98 mph, the Yankees’ postseason ceiling elevates instantly.
The American League landscape remains competitive.
The Blue Jays are formidable.
Other contenders are stacking depth.
But few rotations can match the upside of a healthy Cole anchoring the staff.
His comeback also carries symbolic weight.
Tommy John surgery no longer carries the stigma it once did.
Modern rehabilitation protocols have extended careers.
Yet each case remains individual.
Each pitcher must rediscover feel, command, and confidence.
Cole appears well on that path.
The Yankees’ upcoming spring training schedule will provide additional checkpoints.
On February 23, they travel to face the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:05 PM ET.
On February 24, they visit the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:07 PM ET.
On February 25, they host the Washington Nationals at 6:35 PM ET.
On February 26, they face the Atlanta Braves at 1:05 PM ET.
On February 27, they travel to play the Minnesota Twins at 1:05 PM ET.
And on February 28, they host the Blue Jays again at 1:05 PM ET.
While Cole is not expected to appear in games immediately, each bullpen and live session will be scrutinized.
Every radar reading will circulate.
Every report will matter.
For now, the message is simple.
Gerrit Cole’s fastball is alive.
And for a Yankees team that endured an entire season without him, that is more than encouraging.
It is transformational.
The Bronx needed proof.
Gerrit Cole just provided it.
