Yankees' Gerrit Cole throws 10-strikeout shutout vs. Twins, continues laying foundation for potential Cy run

The Yankees ace has had a stellar start to the 2023 season

When he's on top of his game, few pitchers is the sport can dominate like New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Sunday afternoon Cole carved up the Minnesota Twins en route to a two-hit shutout and a 2-0 win (box score). Cole struck out 10 and threw 109 pitches. He threw 84 pitches in the first six innings, then got the final nine outs on only 25 pitches.

"His command of everything," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said when asked what impressed him the most about Cole's outing (video). "He's in rhythm with the clock. Whatever happens out there -- obviously a lot of things went right today, so there wasn't a lot of adversity -- but he's just handling situation after situation so well. His fastball command and the fact that he's pressuring it in a lot of different places in the strike zone has been huge for him."

The Twins had just one runner advance as far as second base against Cole and they missed with 18 of their 54 swings, or 33%. That is stellar. Cole got at least four swings and misses with his fastball, curveball, and slider. And when the Twins did put the ball in play against Cole, he limited them to an 84.6 mph average exit velocity. It was no contact or weak contact.

Sunday was Cole's first shutout since a 129-pitch effort against his former team, the Houston Astros, at Minute Maid Park on July 10, 2021. It was also Cole's 23rd double-digit strikeout game with the Yankees, tying Ron Guidry's franchise record, and he also moved past Yankees legend Whitey Ford on the all-time strikeout list (97th with 1,962).

There is a strong case to be made Cole is the best active pitcher without a Cy Young -- it's either Cole, Chris Sale, or Adam Wainwright -- and while there is still a lot of season to be played, Cole is pitching at a level necessary to win that award. He is a perfect 4-0 in four starts with 0.95 ERA and 0.74 WHIP. Cole has struck out 32 in 28 1/3 innings.

Also, Cole has yet to allow a home run in 2023. He surrendered an American League-leading 33 home runs last season, leading to a good but not truly great 3.50 ERA in 200 2/3 innings. This is the first time Cole has gone four straight starts without allowing a homer since going five straight in April 2021.

Cole's shutout Sunday is only the second shutout -- and the second complete game -- of the young season. Miami Marlins righty and reigning NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara shut out these same Twins on April 5. That game took only 1:57.