Gerrit Cole, the first overall pick in the 2011 draft, is a three-time All-Star pitcher who came of age with the Houston Astros in 2019, striking out 326 batters.
He got the largest free agency deal for a pitcher in history with the New York Yankees in the next offseason, agreeing to a $324 million deal. Brandon Crawford’s brother-in-law is him.
Cole was a high school football player for Mike Grahovac, and he once achieved 100 mph on the radar gun. He was 1-0 with 14 strikeouts in 14 innings as a sophomore.
He hit .269 as a junior and pitched to a 3-0, 1.21 ERA with two saves. In 75 2/3 innings as a senior, he was 8-2 with a save, a 0.46 ERA, 121 strikeouts, and 18 walks.
Baseball America selected him as a second-team All-American, behind Brett DeVall, Danny Hultzen, Taylor Jungmann, and Jake Odorizzi.
DeVall and Odorizzi were first-round picks that year, while Jungmann and Hultzen were among the top 15 picks in 2011 following their junior seasons.
Cole was listed as the 17th best draft prospect by Baseball America. Cole was selected 28th overall by the New York Yankees in 2008, but he did not sign.
He was the highest-drafted player ever to enroll at UCLA and the highest-drafted player ever to go to college. In exchange for not signing Cole, the Yankees received the great Slade Heathcott with their compensation choice in 2009.
How Old Is Gerrit Cole?
Gerrit Cole is 31 years old. He was born on September 8, 1990.