As everyone is aware, Gerrit Cole purposely walked Rafael Devers yesterday, which resulted in the Yankees’ ace collapsing and possibly recording his worst start in Yankee history. By all accounts, Cole decided for himself, raising his own four fingers and gesturing for his opponent to go first. It was perhaps the most foolish thing I’ve ever seen a starting pitcher do, and I play baseball as one of the smartest players in the league.
Austin Wells and Aaron Judge will both be given significant thought for postseason awards. There has only been one occasion since 1980 when teammates have been in the top five for both honors. Judge is the clear favorite to win the AL MVP award, and Wells is making progress in the Rookie of the Year competition. The team will garner the most award consideration in modern baseball when you factor in the votes that Juan Soto and Luis Gil will receive for MVP and Rookie of the Year, respectively, down the ballot.
Although Anthony Volpe’s batting average has increased by 40 points from his debut year, he isn’t much of a stronger hitter. He has significantly reduced the number of strikeouts and is slightly more likely to get on base, but there’s