New York Yankees
New York Yankees’ World Series Odds Take a Hit After Gerrit Cole’s Injury
Following News of Gerrit Cole Being Out for the Season, How Will This Affect the Yankees’ World Series Plans?
Gerrit Cole Is Headed for Season-Ending Surgery
As a baseball fan, nobody wants to hear this kind of MLB news. As reported by the New York Yankees, Gerrit Cole, the team’s star ace, number one pitcher in New York’s rotation, and projected opening-day starter, was officially ruled out for the 2025 season following an MRI test last Friday, which showed he would need Tommy John surgery.
Yankees announce RHP Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery. pic.twitter.com/zuDYuWPrpG
— MLB (@MLB) March 10, 2025
Cole, the 2023 American League Cy Young winner, was deemed one of New York’s pivotal building blocks toward making another World Series run this season, following last season’s ridiculous debacle at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Not long after the announcement was made, Cole, one of New York’s most beloved players, took to social media to leave a heartfelt message for fans, letting everybody know he is “fully committed to the work ahead” and saying he “can’t wait to be back on the mound stronger than ever.”
Gerrit Cole leaves a heartfelt message on his Instagram pic.twitter.com/FyzD5i0siI
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 10, 2025
Now, as the Yankees get ready for a season in which they are still touted as AL Pennant Winner betting odds favorites at +350, who will take over as the team’s No.1 starter? And how will Cole’s absence affect the team’s World Series aspirations?
Who Will Be New York’s No.1 Starter?
Now that MLB rumors have turned into reality and Cole will be out for the season, the most significant question mark surrounding the Yankees is, who will take over as the team’s No.1 starter in its rotation?
For a team that entered the preseason with what appeared to be an overflow of top-caliber starters, Cole’s news, alongside Luis Gil being sidelined for at least a couple of months, has left a potentially scary rotation looking more and more tame.
1. Max Fried – be great
2. Carlos Rodon – be very good
3. Marcus Stroman – be decent
4. Clarke Schmidt – be healthy
5. Will Warren – surprise usToo much to ask? Maybe? Probably.
— Jimmy Randazzo (@JimmyRandazzo) March 10, 2025
Even after bringing in Cody Bellinger to enforce the lineup, the Yankees will need somebody within the remaining starters to step up and take over as a leader within the rotation.
Considering the $218 million spent on bringing in left-handed starter Max Fried, it’s safe to say the former Atlanta Braves star should be set to take over as the team’s first choice at starter.
Max Fried (just needs to stay healthy)
Bearded Rodon (Will redeem himself)
Clarke Schmidt (Solid)
Marcus Stroman (ass)
Will Warren (Michael King 2.0)It’s not perfect but we’ll survive
— MichaelTonkinFan (@TonkinFan11) March 10, 2025
Fried has already shown he can rock the pinstripes with ease. Now, with the chance to become the team’s new leading ace alongside Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, Will Warren, and yes, even Marcus Stroman, who entered the preseason not even knowing if he would have a spot to pitch with New York, it’s time for Max to step up and take on the challenge head first.
The Yankees’ standings this coming season will depend solemnly on that.
How Max Fried is gonna feel winning the cy young and picking up Gerrit Cole pic.twitter.com/xiyK2qwV5M
— Evil Empire (@octoberstanton) March 10, 2025
If I were a Yankee fan (Cubs man all the way here), I’d buy into believing in Fried, at least until proven wrong. There are 162 MLB games in the season; there’s enough wiggle room to believe.
How Does This Affect the Yankees’ World Series Odds?
Following the disastrous news, the Yankees’ World Series betting odds started dropping, going from +750 yesterday to +850 today over at BetUS sportsbook.
But this is the Yankees we’re talking about at the end of the day, the reigning AL champions, and current MLB picks and predictions favorites to repeat as champions, even without Cole, and now allowing facial hair.
•Lose the WS in embarrassing fashion
•Lose Juan Soto to the Mets
•Lose Luis Gil for half the season
•Lose Gerrit Cole until the middle of 2026
•Stanton has no working limbsWho’s had a worse 5 months than Yankees fans? pic.twitter.com/l5oZQz5cUQ
— JL (@JLas43_) March 10, 2025
Of course, the Yankees must consider that room for error will be as slim as ever.
Even if the title race in the American League looks groomed for New York to rush to the title without any real competition to worry about, it’s over in the National League, and who will end up in the World Series should be the real concern.
New York can’t afford another trip to the World Series like last season’s. It cannot afford to get ridiculed the way it did by the Dodgers once again. So, even without Cole, New York will need to find a way.
