Gerrit Cole is pitching like the ace of the staff he’s paid to be. There’s no getting around the fact Cole has stepped up his performance since Kyle Higashioka began catching him regularly. Well, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
Next week, all eyes will shift towards the playoffs. Less than a month ago, it didn’t look as if the Yankees would be playing into October. Two things happened, however, which helped turn the tables.
First, the Yankees got healthy again. The other was manager Aaron Boone moving Higashioka behind the plate to catch Cole.
Cole has pitched to a 1.00 earned run average with Higashioka catching him. He’s allowed just three earned runs in 27 innings. With Gary Sanchez catching Cole, however, the results have been different. The earned run average is 3.91, 20 earned runs in 46 innings.
Tuesday night, in a 12-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, Cole pitched seven strong innings. He allowed five hits, one earned run, struck out seven batters, and allowed zero walks. Higashioka was again the catcher.
Every game still counts …
The Yankees are 8-2 in their last 10 games, they’re healthy again, and now they’re prepping for another postseason. Cole is an integral piece to the puzzle; keeping him comfortable is absolutely the right thing.
I’ve been watching baseball since the 1986 Mets ran through opposing teams to World Series title. One of the many observations I’ve gathered over the years is how important the relationship between a pitcher and catcher is for the success of the team. Its why catchers make it a priority to get to know their pitching staff.
It’s important for catchers to know what a pitcher likes to throw to a hitter. They need to know what makes that pitcher comfortable. Catchers need to know their strengths, weaknesses, and how to frame their pitches.
Pitchers need to feel they can trust their battery mate. They also need to know their battery mate trusts them to execute. That relationship is imperative to a team’s success.
This isn’t a knock on the performance of Gary Sanchez, Cole’s 3.91 ERA with him isn’t terrible. However, with the playoffs less than a week away, when your $324 million star pitcher finds his groove with another battery mate, it can’t be ignored.
The Yankees are paying Gerrit Cole a lot of money to be great. He’s here to help lead this team to a championship. Cole has found success with Higashioka right now, and what matters is the present.
Again, keeping Cole comfortable is the right thing to do. If Higashioka makes Cole comfortable, then now’s not the time to mess with a winning formula.
