MLB experts have heavily focused on Shohei Ohtani as he plays some of the best baseball. His batting in particular has been on full display as he recently smashed his 30th home run of the season. But Ohtani’s pitching has been top-notch as well, with him ranking top-5 in strikeouts. Most recently, a pitching legend picked a New York Yankees’ ace over Shohei Ohtani in terms of pitching. 

The Yankees’ pitching lineup has produced some big performances, with Domingo German even pitching a perfect game recently. Bombers’ hurlers have pulled off some miraculous feats this year. Now, a pitching legend has ranked the team’s ace over Ohtani halfway through the year.

Pitching legend Dan Plesac ranks Gerrit Cole over Shohei Ohtani!

The MLB season has reached its halfway point and players have firmly established themselves in the season. Most recently, pitching legend turned MLB analyst Dan Plesac, ranked his top-25 hurlers for the season. In a surprise move, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole trumps Shohei Ohtani. This comes as a shock, considering the hype surrounding the Los Angeles Angels star at the moment. 

In a Tweet, he said, “The NEW DP- TOP 25 is hot off the press … the @Yankees Cole back on top of the heep …. Numero uno … solid 1st half … Cole / Valdez/ Mcclanahan/ Ohtani and Eovaldi round out the top 5 ! Here’s my TOP 25 Starting pitchers right now.” 

Plesac seemed firm in his answer and happy with calling Cole the season’s best pitcher thus far. He has helped carry the Yankees to wins with little to no run support at times. Plesac shared his list via Twitter. 

Read More: $324,000,000 Yankees Ace Gerrit Cole’s Unexpected Admiration for Red Sox Slugger Despite Humiliation Divides Fans

These are some solid options to round out the top 5 as Framber Valdez, Shane McClanahan and Nathan Eovaldi make the cut. It will be interesting to see if this list changes as the season progresses. Furthermore, Cole may even pick up a massive honor for the first time this year. 

Cole may win his first Cy Young Award!

Amidst a stellar season, Gerrit Cole has emerged as one of MLB’s top pitchers for the 2023 season. This is despite his antics on the field. Cole is among the contenders to win the prestigious Cy Young Award. If he does win it this year, it will be the first of his career.

The $340 million ace has truly pulled off some big results even when he has had bad pitching days. This season may cement his place among pitching greats as he looks to win the Cy Young. 

Watch this Story: Long-time rivals Gerrit Cole and Josh Donaldson had a first meeting as New York Yankees teammates – what went down?

The New York Yankees ace’s pitching has been good enough to rank him above Shohei Ohtani. Do you think Gerrit Cole will maintain his top ranking as the season progresses?