“He's gonna shove in the postseason” “How about give up less than 4 runs” - New York Yankees fans troll Gerrit Cole after picture of cleats with special message surfaces amid recent struggles

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is having a torrid time on the mound. With less than two weeks remaining until the postseason, he has very little time to find a fix.

Ahead of Cole’s start against the Boston Red Sox on Friday, his ERA read 3.40 in 30 starts across 182.1 innings. Not dreadful, but underwhelming nonetheless.

A picture of a new pair of cleats belonging to Cole also surfaced ahead of the game. The cleats had the message “pressure is a privilege” engraved on them. Owing to his recent form, some fans have found those words rather ironic.

"Gerrit Cole’s new cleats have a special message on them" - Talkin' Yanks

What’s alarming is how often opponents have taken him deep this season. Entering Friday, Cole had conceded 29 home runs - the most in the American League, tied with the Toronto Blue Jays’ José Berríos.

At the time of writing, Cole has allowed nine home runs over his last six starts, with seven of them being in his last three starts.

Cole is not a bad pitcher by any means, but he has traditionally struggled with the long ball. In 2017, he allowed 31 home runs with the Pittsburgh Pirates and 21 with the Houston Astros in 2019. The way things are going, Cole could set a career-worst mark in that regard by the time the season ends.

However, he remains Aaron Boone’s first choice, thanks to his staff-leading 3.2 fWAR. Cole will start the Yankees’ first playoff game next month. With one of the top two seeds virtually assured, the Yankees are set to receive a bye straight to the ALDS.

In comparison to Cole, Nestor Cortes' ERA reads 2.67. There’s enough substance for many to believe that he is more reliable.

Gerrit Cole needs to deliver in order for the Yankees to retain realistic World Series ambitions

In last year's Wild Card Game, Gerrit Cole couldn't make it out of the third inning against the Red Sox. In three postseason starts in 2020, he allowed six earned runs in 18.1 innings with a 2.94 ERA.

For the Yankees to have any shot at the World Series, Cole needs to deliver. It’s never easy donning the pinstripes since expectations are always sky high.

His nine-year, $324 million contract, which is the most lucrative contract for a pitcher in MLB history, doesn’t dampen those expectations either. If anything, it amplifies it and Cole needs to start pulling his weight.