Gerrit Cole had been out of baseball for closer to two years than one.
It had been 569 days, to be exact.
The Yankees ace pitched in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, back on Oct. 30, 2024. He then underwent Tommy John surgery in March of last year, and missed the entire 2025 season.
Then, nearly two months into the 2026 season, he finally returned to the mound, starting against the Rays on Friday and allowing just two hits across six scoreless innings.
Quite the return.
Let’s check out the odds for Cole’s comeback season as of May 22 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Regular-season strikeouts
Over 118.5: -115 (bet $10 to win $18.70 total)
Under 118.5: -115 (bet $10 to win $18.70 total)
What to know: Cole pitched 12 seasons before missing last season due to surgery, and he spent many of those years in the conversation for the game’s best pitcher. He had eight seasons with over 118 strikeouts, including 202 in 2015, 276 in 2018, an MLB-leading 326 in 2019, 243 in 2021, an MLB-leading 257 in 2022 and 222 in 2023. He won the AL Cy Young in 2023, and is a six-time All-Star. Two other times he finished second in the Cy Young voting.
Regular-season ERA
Over 3.85: -105 (bet $10 to win $19.52 total)
Under 3.85: -125 (bet $10 to win $18 total)
What to know: Twice Cole has led the majors in ERA — in 2019 (2.50) and in 2023 (2.63). Outside those two seasons, he’s had eight other seasons with an ERA below 3.85, and in total, he’s had five seasons with an ERA under 3.0.
