Justin Verlander Is Being Overshadowed By Gerrit Cole’s Insane Dominance

What Cole is doing right now is unprecedented

By BetQL Staff - Oct 11, 2019, 10:10am EDT

Gerrit Cole, 99mph on his 100th Pitch. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/REtsBmICw6
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 11, 2019

Since he joined the team, Justin Verlander has been the unquestioned ace of the Houston Astros. He started Game 1 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays and has been treated as the go-to guy throughout the season.

Despite Verlander’s incredible regular-season numbers (21-6, 2.58 ERA, 300 K), Gerrit Cole is arguably enjoying the most dominant stretch of pitching in MLB history.

Gerrit Cole's 10 Strikeouts, Overlay (synced at release) pic.twitter.com/GRYfStwuix
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 11, 2019

After going 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA and a ridiculous 326 strikeouts during the regular season, Cole earned a Game 2 win against the Rays after allowing just four hits and no earned runs with 15 strikeouts over 7.2 innings. Then, on Thursday, he went 8.0 innings, allowed just two hits and an earned run and struck out 10 to earn another win, this time in a win-or-go-home Game 5.

It was his MLB record 11th-straight double-digit strikeout game.

We are witnessing history.
@GerritCole45 extends his @MLB record 10+ K game streak to 11! pic.twitter.com/MLz6Z7xXcw
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) October 11, 2019

Check out this insane stat:

One more note on Gerrit Cole: the 2nd-longest streak of innings with at least one strikeout this season was 25, by Eduardo Rodríguez and Luke Jackson. pic.twitter.com/32ooHiCi5F
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 11, 2019

As you might imagine, Cole has numerous elite pitches in his arsenal. Look at what opposing hitters have to face:

A close-up, slow-motion look at a four-seam fastball, knuckle curve, and slider from #Astros Gerrit Cole. #ALDS

-METRICS-
FF- 100 MPH, 2522 RPM, 1:15 spin tilt
KC- 87 MPH, 3012 RPM, 7:15 spin tilt
SL- 90.7 MPH, 2755 RPM, 10:15 spin tilt pic.twitter.com/SbmvjqZQKJ
— Michael Augustine (@AugustineMLB) October 6, 2019

Since August 1st, Cole has a 46 percent strikeout rate. He will look to carry his incredible streak into the ALCS, when the Astros will need him at his best against a powerful New York Yankees lineup.

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