Gerrit Cole wows Yankees in first bullpen of spring training: ‘He looked like a Cy Young pitcher’

TAMPA, Fla. — Gerrit Cole’s first official bullpen of spring training drew a crowd of reporters jockeying for position along a mostly-shrouded fence, but the best sightlines belonged to the Yankees’ decision-makers stationed behind the 35-year-old right-hander. Manager Aaron Boone, pitching coaches Matt Blake and Desi Druschel, bench coach Brad Ausmus and guest instructor Ron Guidry watched intently Friday as Cole, 16 months removed from Tommy John surgery, pumped fastballs that touched 96 mph and worked through his full repertoire against catcher Austin Wells.

“He looked like a Cy Young pitcher,” Wells said of the 2023 American League honoree. “He looked smooth and in control. He looked confident in his ability.”

Boone echoed the catcher, likening Cole’s command to “a diver that dives off the high board and just goes in the water and makes no splash.”

Cole, who had already logged off-season bullpens in New York and California, termed the session “well executed” and said his reconstructed right elbow “feels really good.”

“It feels different than it has been in quite some time,” he added. “Feel is subjective, so we’ll have to see how it plays out.”

The outing keeps the Yankees’ ace on the early end of the typical 14-to-18-month Tommy John timeline, positioning him for a return sometime between May and June. Boone reiterated earlier this week that Cole is scheduled to face live hitters in “a couple weeks” and could “potentially” appear in a Grapefruit League game before camp breaks, though no date has been set.

Cole, who missed the entire 2025 season, acknowledged the rehabilitation process has been “long and tedious” but said the daily grind has kept him focused on incremental progress rather than long-term statistics.

“I just miss playing,” he said. “I miss that outlet of working hard and feeling exhausted every five days.”

New York opted against adding another frontline starter this winter, banking on Cole’s return to anchor a rotation with injury questions elsewhere. While Tommy John rehabs can carry risks — Atlanta’s Spencer Strider struggled throughout 2025 after a similar procedure — Boone declined to place any ceiling on Cole’s post-surgery ceiling.

“I’m not going to put any ceiling on what Gerrit could do once he’s back and in the rotation,” Boone said, citing the procedure’s high success rate.

Cole said his pitch mix and mechanics remain largely unchanged, save for one tweak: he now begins his windup by bringing his hands over his head.

“It feels good,” he said. “I generally just like the rhythm of it.”

For now, Cole will continue the day-by-day approach that has carried him through the early stages of camp, content to let velocity and command serve as the loudest statements amid the buzz of his first spring mound appearance.