Arguably one of the best baseball products from UCLA, starting right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole made his Major League Baseball debut 11 years ago.
Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates first overall in 2011, Cole spent two years in the minor leagues before making his professional debut for the Pirates in 2013 against the San Francisco Giants.
In the win, Cole pitched six and a third innings with two strikeouts, allowing two runs, and even added to the game as a batter. With the bases loaded, Cole’s single drove in two runs to lift the Pirates to an 8-2 win. A sign of things to come for Cole, his first outing was an impressive start to his career.
OTD in 2013, Gerrit Cole made his highly anticipated major league debut 🔥
– 6.1 IP
– 2 K
– 2 ER
– 2 RBI single in his first MLB at-bat pic.twitter.com/2xsh9P17UM— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 11, 2024
Today, Cole is on the mend following an injury he suffered during spring training for the New York Yankees. A six-time All-Star and Cy Young winner in 2023, the former Bruin is the gold standard for pitchers in the MLB today.