Analysis
Atlanta Braves
Dodgers and Rays headline CBS ranking of 2026 World Series matchups
With eight clubs left in the 2026 MLB playoffs, CBS Sports has ranked all 16 possible World Series matchups, led by a Dodgers–Rays showdown.
· CBS Sports
Gerrit
Cole
PAge : 36Throws : R
#45
Gerrit Cole
#45P
New York Yankees
Height : 6' 4" · Weight : 100 kg · Bats : R · Throws : R · MLB debut : 2013-06-11
Born in : Newport Beach, CA, USA
MLB record
| Year | Team | PJ | V | D | MPM | MJ | RB | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | New York Yankees | 22 | 10 | 9 | 3.61 | 127.0 | 131 | 1.10 |
| 2024 | New York Yankees | 17 | 8 | 5 | 3.41 | 95.0 | 99 | 1.13 |
| 2023 | New York Yankees | 33 | 15 | 4 | 2.63 | 209.0 | 222 | 0.98 |
| 2022 | New York Yankees | 33 | 13 | 8 | 3.50 | 200.2 | 257 | 1.02 |
| 2021 | New York Yankees | 30 | 16 | 8 | 3.23 | 181.1 | 243 | 1.06 |
| 2020 | New York Yankees | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2.84 | 73.0 | 94 | 0.96 |
| 2019 | Houston Astros | 33 | 20 | 5 | 2.50 | 212.1 | 326 | 0.89 |
| 2018 | Houston Astros | 32 | 15 | 5 | 2.88 | 200.1 | 276 | 1.03 |
| 2017 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 33 | 12 | 12 | 4.26 | 203.0 | 196 | 1.25 |
| 2016 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | 7 | 10 | 3.88 | 116.0 | 98 | 1.44 |
| 2015 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 32 | 19 | 8 | 2.60 | 208.0 | 202 | 1.09 |
| 2014 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 22 | 11 | 5 | 3.65 | 138.0 | 138 | 1.21 |
| 2013 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 19 | 10 | 7 | 3.22 | 117.1 | 100 | 1.17 |
| Career totals | 339 | 163 | 89 | 3.20 | 2081.0 | 2382 | 1.09 | |
ContractNew York Yankees payroll →
- Type
- Free Agent
- Length
- 9 yrs · 2020–2028
- Total value
- 324.0 M$
- AAV
- 36.00 M$
2026
36.00 M$
Guaranteed
2027
36.00 M$
Guaranteed
2028
36.00 M$
Guaranteed
Full no-trade clause
Advanced stats, 2026Starting pitcherMLB stats →
ERA
3.61
FIP
3.93
xFIP
3.67
ERA-
87
WHIP
1.10
K%
25.2 %
BB%
4.8 %
Strikeouts
131
Innings
127.0
Wins
10
Stats: MLB (statsapi) and Baseball Savant.
2027 projectionMLB trends →
Projected WAR
1.7
Strikeouts
106
2026 WAR
2.1
This season's pace, over the average of the last two workloads, adjusted for next year's age.
Trend
→ Stable (-2)
- 20223.4 WAR · 3.0 per full season
- 20235.3 WAR · 4.6 per full season
- 20241.8 WAR · 3.4 per full season
- 20262.1 WAR · 3.0 per full season
Outlook, age included
-32 · 35 y.o. · the age when performance usually declines
It is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes.
Player ratings, 2026All ratings →
Ratings from 0 to 100, computed from Statcast and MLB stats over four seasons, never by hand. 75 = established regular, 87 = 90th percentile, 95+ = elite.
OV · Overall
87
High-end
- VEL
- Velocity
- 86
- STF
- Stuff
- 85
- CTL
- Control
- 87
- CNT
- Contact allowed
- 74
- STA
- Stamina
- 80
- DUR
- Durability
- 75
- EX
- Experience
- 92
Why these ratings?Hide details
- VEL — Velocity : Fastball velocity
- STF — Stuff : Strikeouts, K − BB
- CTL — Control : Walks avoided
- CNT — Contact allowed : xwOBA, barrels and hard-hit balls allowed
- STA — Stamina : Innings per start and innings pitched
- DUR — Durability : Games played over several seasons
- EX — Experience : Seasons in the majors
WAR and PAL Rating, 2026How we rate →
WAR is fWAR (FanGraphs' version, distributed through MLB's API): wins added above a replacement player. PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against regulars in the same role (50 = median).
WAR
2.1
#65 of 166 regular starters
PAL Rating
82 / 100
#30 of 166 regular starters
Value Rating
6 / 100
Surplus $-15.5M · salary $36.0MPAL: dimensions
Run prevention75
Stuff83
Command96
Contact allowed29
Velocity86
Workload59
A pitcher's WAR
Computed by MLB from FIP (strikeouts, walks, home runs). FIP: 3.93 · RA9-WAR: 2.8
StatcastStatcast leaderboards →
MLB's tracking of every ball, 2026 season. The percentile ranks the player among regulars in the role: 90th means better than 90% of them.
Fastball
96.8 mi/h
88th percentile
K%
25.2 %
77th percentile
BB%
4.8 %
97th percentile
xERA
3.78
76th percentile
xwOBA allowed
.300
76th percentile
Barrels allowed
8.9 %
28th percentile
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | OV | Fastball | K% | BB% | xERA | xwOBA allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | NYY | 2.1 | 82 | 87 | 96.8 | 25.2 | 4.8 | 3.78 | .300 |
| 2024 | NYY | 1.8 | 70 | 92 | 95.9 | 25.4 | 7.4 | 3.62 | .299 |
| 2023 | NYY | 5.3 | 97 | 95 | 96.7 | 27.0 | 5.8 | 3.45 | .288 |
| 2022 | NYY | 3.4 | 92 | 88 | 97.8 | 32.4 | 6.3 | 3.37 | .289 |
| 2021 | NYY | 5.2 | 97 | 91 | 97.7 | 33.5 | 5.6 | 3.06 | .271 |
Game log, 2026
| Date | Opponent | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23 | vs TB | 5.2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 3.61 |
| Sep 18 | @ AZ | 6.0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3.63 |
| Sep 12 | vs NYM | 4.1 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3.67 |
| Sep 6 | @ SD | 7.0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3.41 |
| Sep 1 | @ LAA | 5.1 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3.29 |
| Aug 27 | vs HOU | 6.0 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3.19 |
| Aug 20 | @ BAL | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3.11 |
| Aug 14 | @ TOR | 6.0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3.22 |
| Aug 8 | vs ATL | 7.0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3.35 |
| Aug 2 | @ CHC | 5.2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3.42 |