Gerrit Cole was the one thing that went right for the New York Yankees last season, despite everything else going wrong. Of course, oddsmakers will be keeping a close eye on him in the run-up to the 2024 MLB season.
After leading the American League with a 2.63 ERA (second only to NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell), leading the league with a 0.98 WHIP, and making 24 quality starts, the seasoned right-hander thoroughly deserved to earn the AL Cy Young Award. With 222 strikeouts, he also tied for sixth place in the league. This was Cole’s third season in a row with at least 200 Ks, an area that both sportsbooks and bettors tend to focus on.
DraftKings has listed the over/under at 215.5 and the over favourable at -115 for the number of strikeouts Cole will record this season. This looks to be a pretty attainable goal considering his recent performance. However, at 33, Cole may be approaching the stage of his career when a pitcher’s numbers start to decline.
Despite Cole’s age, MLB.com contributor Brian Murphy believes that in 2024, Cole will lead the league in strikeouts once more because of his consistency. Additionally, it seems wise to wager that Cole will record more than 215.5 strikeouts if he continues to be reliable and healthy.
“The two-time MLB strikeout king is still the game’s most reliable pitcher when it comes to racking up the K’s,” Murphy stated. “Cole’s 1,418 strikeouts since the start of 2018 are 200 more than anyone else, and he has averaged 265 K’s over the last five full seasons.”
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