New York Yankees Joel Sherman The temptation is palpable — but this isn’t a sprint for Gerrit Cole By Joel Sherman Published Feb. 21, 2026, 5:39 p.m. ET New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole throwing on a back field during practice at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post TAMPA — He can see it now. So close. Yet …
Gerrit Cole tamps it down. He wants to pitch in major league games more than ever, fueled by how much he missed it last season — realized at a heightened level just how much every fiber of his being is consumed with the art.
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And here he was on a Friday pumping and spotting fastballs in his first live batting practice since Tommy John surgery and waking up Saturday feeling great. Oh, the joy of being a major league pitcher. But not quite. So far into the marathon. And miles to go. The food on the table, but you can’t eat.
“It’s a little easier at this point, because, you know, you start to kind of get over the horizon, right?” Cole said a day after the bellwether of facing hitters. “You’re starting to see the sun come up on the other side. And the challenge is: Don’t sprint, right? Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve gotten here because of what you’ve done. You’re gonna get there by doing the same thing.”
