Like the inversion of Gotham’s favored defender, Gerrit Cole isn’t the hero the putrid Yankees offense deserves, but today — after dropping their last five games against the rival Sox — he’s the hero they need. Entering the Sunday afternoon contest with a 2.33 ERA, Cole will need his best stuff to fend off the fourth-most prolific offense in the majors, especially considering that his own has been the eighth-worst.
However, since MLB’s embarrassing crackdown on sticky stuff, Cole’s spin rate on all of his pitches has been way, way down. In fact, according to ESPN Stats & Info, Cole’s four-seam, curveball, and slider spin were all the lowest of any of his starts since 2017.