New York Yankees: Can a Yankee Win an Award this Year?

Can Gerrit Cole win his first Cy Young?

Gerrit Cole is one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, but he has actually never won a Cy Young. However, he finished second in Cy Young voting behind his teammate Justin Verlander in 2019, and he finished fifth in 2018.

This being said, Cole has been right there the past couple of seasons, but he has failed to knock down that door and win the award recognizing the best pitchers in the MLB.

Now that Cole is in New York though, he could finally win his first Cy Young in 2020. Through two games this season, Cole holds an ERA of 3.09 with a 2-0 record. That 3.09 ERA probably would’ve been a bit better as well had his first game not been shortened due to rain, therefore he pitched only five innings.

In addition to that, had Aaron Boone pulled Cole before the seventh inning in his second start, he would have allowed only one run in six innings. Instead, Cole took the mound in the seventh inning and let up two runs before being pulled.

It wasn’t a horrible decision, Cole was pitching lights out and Boone wanted him to keep going, but the Yankees were up 7-1, Cole probably didn’t need to go out there to start the seventh. Nonetheless, he did, and he let up two runs in the seventh and because of it, his ERA went up quite a bit.

However, Cole has lost only one decision since May 22, 2019, and if he keeps that up, I would find it hard to believe someone else could win the AL Cy Young in 2020. Through only two starts in a New York Yankees uniform, Cole has been absolutely dominant and I would fully expect him to keep it up throughout the remainder of the season.

All that being said, I think Gerrit Cole will be the Yankees’ first Cy Young Award winner since 2001 this season.