Pitching against one’s former team has to be difficult — there are emotions involved with facing players you once shared a clubhouse with, and theoretically, the coaching staff should have more of a book on how you approach hitters and your weaknesses than any other.
Gerrit Cole has started three games against the Houston Astros since he departed them to join the Yankees. Interestingly, he’s approached them a bit differently each time. Let’s go through the nuances of his approach, to see how changes things up against a team as familiar as his former employer.