DIVISIONAL OUTLOOK: NL Central—Can Cole get on a roll?

Pittsburgh Pirates

The rotation run of 22-year-old Gerrit Cole (RHP, PIT) will continue, despite the recent return of Jeanmar Gómez (RHP, PIT). Gomez went five innings in his return from a forearm injury June 26 but now will reportedly pitch out of the bullpen. Some may decry that as an injustice, given Gomez’s surface stats, but his underlying skills justify the decision (xERA 4.13, BPV 36). Simply put, Gomez has not shown he is ready to be a sub-4.00 ERA in the major leagues, much less a sub-3.00 one. His Dom has inched up in 2013 as has his GB%, but his Cmd is still well below 2.0.

Cole, meanwhile, is 4-0, but only one of those starts was a PQS-DOM. As his 6.2 Dom at AAA-Indianapolis suggested, Cole may not be ready to make major...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From PT Tomorrow

The Phillies are poised to finally end the Braves dominance of the division -- can they sustain that when the Braves are healthy in 2025?
Sep 21 2024 3:15am
Wilson had a great 2024 in the minors and looks to breakout with the A's in 2025.
Sep 20 2024 3:05am
Heston Kjerstad could be the beneficiary of Anthony Santander's pending free agency in BAL. Plus, hitters vying for 2025 playing time for TAM and TOR, and the effects of pending free agencies for BOS and NYY.
Sep 17 2024 3:10am
A look around the division with some questions for next year, including the Kansas City rotation and shortstop in Detroit.
Sep 13 2024 3:10am
MIL could have a new look infield, CHC still hasn't solved its problem at 3B, two situations to monitor in STL, coming full circle in CIN, and RF and 1B remain a problem in PIT.
Sep 12 2024 3:06am

Tools