Gerrit Cole Named Yankees' Game 2 ALCS Starter for 2024 MLB Playoffs; G1 Starter TBD

Gerrit Cole will be on the mound for the New York Yankees early in the ALCS.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Saturday that Cole will be the team's Game 2 starter. The team's Game 1 starter is still to be determined.

Cole pitched twice in the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals, with New York winning both games. Cole earned the win in the series-clinching Game 4 matchup.

Cole has held a strong presence atop the Yankees rotation all season. He went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts. He was limited to just 95 innings and did not debut until June due to an elbow injury.

Incidentally, that layoff could have served as a benefit of sorts, as he threw less than half of the innings he did in 2023 and doesn't have the workload of a whole season behind him. He is more in mid-season form and will be a formidable force for his opponents to deal with.

Starting the second game will likely set him up to pitch once more if the series is extended to six or seven games. He has a career ERA of 2.94 in the postseason and an 11-6 record.

The Yankees await the winner of the ALDS series between the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers. New York has advanced to the ALCS for the second time in the last three seasons but the franchise has not reached the World Series since 2009.