Yankees ace Gerrit Cole hits 96.9 mph in first live batting practice since Tommy John
Gerrit Cole threw as hard as 96. 9 mph in a roughly 20-pitch session against hitters Friday, a milestone that gives the yankees a clearer read on his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
Yankees ace faces live hitters at Steinbrenner Field
Cole worked at 11 a. m. Friday at Steinbrenner Field, facing Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge and Jasson Domínguez in what the team treated as a one-inning batting-practice workout of about 20 pitches. Steinbrenner Field was nearly empty that morning, with Cole’s wife, Amy, and his two sons, Caden and Everett, among the few people behind the on-deck circle.
Velocity, results and reactions
Video-board and team checks showed Cole’s fastball peaking at 96. 9 mph, with the bullpen-tracking range reaching about 95. 2 to 96. 9 mph during the session. The live at-bats produced tangible results: Grisham struck out, Judge fouled off a few pitches before hitting a grounder to the right side, and Domínguez finished with a liner to right-center. Judge said, “Gerrit looked great. Excited to see him back on the mound. I think that was the most important thing. The stuff is still electric. That’s the amazing thing. ”
Mechanical changes and recent timeline
Cole has altered his windup, now putting his hands over his head where previously he stopped at his chest. He threw his first bullpen session about a week before the live hitters session and had pitched in two spring training games in 2025, his last outing coming on March 6; surgery followed five days later. His last official outing before the injury was in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series on Oct. 30.
What this means next
Manager Aaron Boone said, “It sounds like it was really good, ” before New York’s exhibition opener against the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota. Team officials expect Cole to be ready at some point from May to September, matching the 14-to-18-month recovery window the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner has cited as his target. Pitching coach Matt Blake added that Cole’s work looked, “Pretty crisp, like really good lines with the fastball, controlling the zone. ”
The next confirmed milestone on the schedule is the team’s exhibition opener in Sarasota against the Orioles, where staff who monitored Cole that morning were on hand for the game preparation and recovery work that followed.
