Gerrit Cole Is Rounding Back Into Ace Form

Gerrit Cole is once again anchoring the Pirate rotation

Entering the season, some Pirate fans had questions about Gerrit Cole. This was largely due to Cole struggling through elbow tendinitis over the course of the final two months of the 2016 season. As a result of this tendinitis, his results suffered.

Cole’s first two starts of the 2017 season fed into the hysteria some of these fans had. As in these starts, he allowed 8 runs, including 3 home runs, in 11 innings pitched. However, the Pirate ace is rounding into ace form once again.

Last night against the Chicago Cubs Gerrit Cole turned in a dominant performance. In 7 innings of work he allowed just 2 hits, he did not walk a batter, he struck out 8, and he did it all on just 78 pitches.

Unfortunately for Cole and the Pirates, the Cubs scored an unearned run in the second inning. This came as a result of an Alen Hanson throwing error. That unearned run would be all the Cubs needed in a 1-0 victory.

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Gerrit Cole easily could have gone deeper into Tuesday night’s start. In fact, a complete game seemed possible. But the pitcher’s spot came up in the bottom of the 7th inning with the Pirates trailing by a run, two outs, and John Jaso on third base. This led to Cole being pinch hit for (#FreeTheDH).

Despite suffering the loss, kill the win by the way, Gerrit Cole turned in a dominant performance on Tuesday night. It was by far his most dominant start of the young season and one of the most dominant of his Major League career.

Tuesday’s outing capped off a great three game stretch for Cole to finish the month of April. It was a three game stretch that saw him start to round into ace form once again.

Dating back to his start at Wrigley Field on April 14th, Gerrit Cole has been one of the best starting pitchers in the National League. Over this stretch, he ranks 11th in the league in FIP (2.57), 9th in walks (1.42 BB/9), 8th in xFIP (2.90), 8th in strikeouts (9.95 K/9), and 8th in ERA (1.89). To put it bluntly, he is pitching like an ace yet again.

Furthermore, Gerrit Cole’s fastball has been the best among all Major League starting pitchers this season. So, Cole having a great fastball predates this recent three game stretch. The 96.3 miles per hour his fastball is averaging this season is the highest in the Majors among starting pitchers, and this has helped make his change up (opposing wRC+ of -53) a devastating pitching. His slider (wRC+ of 18 against) has been deadly as well.

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If the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to survive being without Starling Marte and Jung Ho Kang, their starting pitching needs to remain among the league’s best. The team has the potential to do this with the way Jameson Taillon and Ivan Nova have pitched this season, and if Gerrit Cole pitching like the ace he proved to be in 2015 and the first four months of 2016.

In his last three starts, Gerrit Cole has started to round back into being this ace.