Gerrit Cole on starting All-Star Game, facing A-Rod, Big Papi and Derek Jeter
New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will take the hill for the American League in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). It's the first time in Cole's MLB career that he'll start for either league in the Midsummer Classic.
Cole, who has an ERA title and has made six All-Star Game rosters, expressed to the MLB on FOX pregame show Monday his gratitude for getting the starting nod.
"Just honestly pretty humbled, and it’s a special opportunity," Cole said. "I’ve seen a lot of really, really great pitchers over the years be able to do this, and it’s kind of a dream come true."
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Gerrit Cole joins the MLB on FOX crew ahead of the All-Star Game.
Meanwhile, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen will take the hill for the National League.
On the season, Cole has posted a 2.85 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 123 strikeouts across 117.0 innings (19 starts), including one complete game shutout. Cole is in the midst of his fourth season with the Yankees of a nine-year, $324 million deal.
The 32-year-old right-hander began his MLB career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, whom he played for from 2013-17. He was then traded to the Houston Astros after the 2017 season and spent two seasons in Houston (2018-19) before signing with the Yankees. New York originally drafted Cole with the No. 28 pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, but he chose to attend UCLA and was eventually selected by Pittsburgh with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft.
The Yankees, who have been without 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge for the past five weeks due to a toe injury, are in a stacked AL East. Despite being 49-42, the Yankees are just fourth in their division behind the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. All five teams in the AL East, which also includes the Boston Red Sox (48-43), are at least five games above .500. The Yankees are a combined 13-17 in divisional play.
Cole isn't surprised by the stiff competition that has emerged in the AL East.
"Very familiar with how good that division [AL East] is, having played against them quite a bit over the last few years. And I’m not surprised really, honestly," Cole said. "Five really, really good teams, a lot of really well-coached teams, and a lot of talent."
Cole, who has posted a 2.93 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 134 strikeouts across 17 postseason starts, dove into how he'd approach facing FOX Sports MLB Analysts Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Derek Jeter — who made a combined 38 All-Star Game rosters.
"Look, all these guys, at some point you’re going to have to own the inside part of the plate," Cole said. "A-Rod was famous for just not expanding in there, and making you execute pitch after pitch after pitch. Jeet was great at staying inside the baseball, obviously. And I feel like David read people’s minds, to be quite honest with you. Because there’s some pitches he had no business hitting, and he was all over them. It’s scary."