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| Gerrit Cole | |
|---|---|
| Name | Gerrit Cole |
| Position | Pitcher |
| Team | Free agent |
| Number | 45 |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| Birth date | 8 September 1990 |
| Birth place | Santa Maria, California |
| Debutleague | MLB |
| Debutdate | June 11 |
| Debutyear | 2013 |
| Debutteam | Pittsburgh Pirates |
Gerrit Cole is an American professional baseball pitcher known for high-velocity fastballs and dominant strikeout totals. He has played for Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, and New York Yankees in Major League Baseball and was a top draft pick who starred collegiately at UCLA. Cole has been selected for multiple All-Star Games and has led the league in strikeouts while finishing among Cy Young Award finalists.
Cole was born in Santa Maria, California and raised in Ventura County, attending Ventura High School and later transferring to Oxnard, California. As a high school prospect he drew attention from Major League Baseball Draft scouts and was selected by the New York Yankees in the 2008 MLB Draft but chose to attend UCLA. At UCLA he played under coaches John Savage and competed in the College World Series while teammates included future Major League Baseball players. During summers he pitched in the Cape Cod Baseball League for teams like the Brewster Whitecaps and faced opponents from programs such as Florida Gators baseball and LSU. His collegiate performance placed him on watchlists for the Golden Spikes Award and earned attention from scouting departments of franchises including the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, and San Francisco Giants.
Cole was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2011 MLB Draft. He advanced through the Minor League Baseball system with stops at affiliates such as the Bradenton Marauders, Indianapolis Indians, and Altoona Curve before debuting for Pittsburgh in 2013. With the Pirates he helped the club reach the National League Division Series and faced postseason opponents including the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds. In December 2017 he was traded to the Houston Astros in a high-profile deal involving players from the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations in separate transactions; with Houston he posted career-best seasons, leading to deep postseason runs against teams like the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. In December 2019 he signed a franchise-record contract with the New York Yankees, joining teammates such as Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, and DJ LeMahieu. In New York he continued to produce high strikeout totals and competed in American League Championship Series matchups versus Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros.
Cole features a repertoire highlighted by a high-velocity four-seam fastball, a sharp slider, a curveball, and a changeup, routinely generating velocity comparable to contemporaries like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. His biomechanics have been analyzed by staff from Major League Baseball Advanced Media and sports science programs at institutions like Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology for spin rate and release point consistency. Statistically he has ranked among league leaders in strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), earned run average (ERA), and win–loss record in various seasons, appearing prominently in Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs leaderboards. Advanced metrics such as Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) reflect his impact relative to pitchers including Clayton Kershaw, Jacob deGrom, and Chris Sale. His postseason statistics include starts in Wild Card Game and multiple rounds of both National League and American League playoffs.
Cole has been named to multiple All-Star rosters and was a finalist for the Cy Young Award representing the American League. He has earned selections to Gold Glove Award ballots and seasonal honors such as Pitcher of the Month and Player of the Week recognitions. Collegiately he received accolades including All-American honors and was on watch lists for the Golden Spikes Award and NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament awards. Franchise awards from the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros organizations have included team recognitions for pitching excellence.
Cole is married to a partner who has been involved with communities in Los Angeles, California and Houston, Texas, and they have children. He grew up around Cal State Northridge-area sports culture and maintains friendships with fellow MLB players such as Walker Buehler and Corey Seager from his Southern California connections. Cole has been featured in publications like The New York Times, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and The Athletic for profiles on his career and family life. He has spoken publicly about training regimens involving facilities in Los Angeles and Tampa, Florida.
Cole has participated in charitable initiatives associated with MLB programs including MLB Players Association events, team community outreach programs in Pittsburgh, Houston, and New York City, and youth baseball clinics in partnership with organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America and local Little League Baseball chapters. He has donated to causes featured by foundations like Red Cross-affiliated disaster relief efforts and collaborated with teammates and alumni networks from UCLA and Ventura County charities. Off the field he has been involved with brand partnerships and appearances for companies that sponsor MLB events and has taken part in media work with outlets including ESPN, MLB Network, and YES Network.
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:American baseball players