New York Yankees fans infuriated after manager Aaron Boone confirms Gerrit Cole starting on MLB Opening Day 2023

New York Yankees fans were not happy when manager Aaron Boone announced that Gerrit Cole would be in the starting lineup on Opening Day for the team. Fans are skeptical about the star pitcher, who had a mediocre 2022 season.

Gerrit Cole is one of the leaders in the pitching department for New York, having moved to the Big Apple after successful stints in Pittsburgh and Houston. The Yankees signed Cole to a nine-year, $324 million contract in 2019, the highest ever for a pitcher in the MLB. Last season, Cole recorded the most strikeouts for the Yanks in a season with 257.

Even though Cole struck out the most batters in the league, there was a persistent problem with him as he gave away the most home runs in the American League. So when Aaron Boone made the announcement, some fans were clearly not happy.

The majority of fans were quite unsurprised and reacted sarcastically to amuse the Twitter crowd.

New York Yankees fans are desperate for someone to replace Aaron Hicks in left field. As such, they jumped on the bandwagon, asking Cole to fill that position.

Gerrit Cole will look to play a key role in an injury-ridden Yankees pitching staff

Gerrit Cole will have to take up a leadership role for an injury-plagued pitching rotation for the Yankees. Carlos Rodon was recently sidelined due to injury and reports suggest he might have to undergo Tommy John surgery, which may rule him out for a majority of the season.

Last season's deadline acquisition, Frankie Montas, also suffered a serious injury. He is expected to be out for the entire season due to shoulder inflammation. The Yankees have also been plagued by injuries to relievers Lou Trivino and Tommy Kahnlem, who will start on the injury list. This is sure to test the Yankees pitching staff's depth as the season unfolds.