By all accounts, one could make the argument that Houston Astros right-hander, Gerrit Cole, should be a Cy Young candidate for the American League in 2019. As of last night, Cole is the first A.L. right-hander to accumulate 300 strikeouts since Pedro Martinez in the 1999 season. Aside from his strikeout total, which by itself is highly impressive, his individual numbers, relative to the rest of the Majors, is also daunting. As of this writing, Cole ranks first in Major League Baseball in SO/9 (13.57), third in left on-base percentage, or LOB% (89.3%), and second in fielding independent pitching, or FIP (2.73).
With the context of his individual statistics and his clear dynamic abilities on the mound, his pitch arsenal is, what some would consider, multifaceted; he doesn't rely solely on a one pitch or two pitch combination. He throws several pitches with devastating spin ability, relative to other right-handers in Major League Baseball. Currently, Cole ranks in the top 15, in terms of spin rate, in five pitch categories amongst right-handed pitchers that have thrown at least 2,500 pitches. He also ranks in the top five in three of those categories.
To be more specific, and using the parameters set above, Cole ranks fourth in Four-Seam spin rate (2,527 rpm), first in sinker spin (2,509 rpm), seventh in slider spin (2,619 rpm), eleventh in changeup spin (1,841 rpm), and third in curveball spin (2,903 rpm). As some pitchers may be only able to generate high amounts of spin on onw or two pitches to be effective, one can argue that Gerrit Cole can generate spin on five pitches, which has led him to be, in my opinion, an American League Cy Young candidate. With his multifaceted pitch arsenal, Gerrit Cole is one of the most prolific pitchers in Major League Baseball in the 2019 season.
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