Gerrit Cole is confident the New York Yankees ' rotation remains strong heading into the 2025 season, but he acknowledged they have taken a hit. After his first Yankees spring training start, Cole gave a succinct response when asked about the potential loss of the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year.

Facing an opposing club for the first time since last year’s World Series, Gerrit Cole said it was “a surprise” to make a fourth trip to the mound in his spring debut on Friday -- but a welcome one, because it meant he’d been efficient.

Cole's strikeout rate has declined for three straight seasons, dropping from 33.5% in 2021 to 25.4% in 2024, the lowest since his 2017 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His fastball velocity has also dipped, falling from an average of 97.1 mph in 2021 to 94.8 mph in 2024, with the most significant drop—1.4 mph—occurring between 2023 and 2024.

The Yankees still haven't forgotten how the Dodgers celebrated after ending their season in Game 5 of the World Series.

With spring training now a few weeks old, it’s clear the Yankees’ cerebral starters will be sounding boards for one another, as well as their teammates.

The New York Yankees would host the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field for their first night game of the 2025 Spring Training schedule, and

The New York Yankees have started their spring training campaign with a 1-3 record in the Grapefruit League. That seems bad, but no one will celebrate boasting the best record in spring training. It’s all about getting ready for the games that count,

And, as he did on Friday during his bullpen session, Cole had one of his childhood heroes watching from behind the mound, Roger Clemens, who is in camp as a guest instructor. “It was awesome,” Cole said Sunday. “It’s really great. Álex [Rodríguez] was in the house the other day, too. It’s good vibes.

Cole is scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League start Friday versus the Blue Jays, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports. The 34-year-old ace is in a much better spot on the health front this spring compared to last,

The Yankees continued their spring training schedule with a strong 6–3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, showing off some early-season power and solid