The Tampa Bay Rays were one of the highest flying teams in 2021. They won the American League East Division, repeating the feat for the first time in franchise history. And some would say they were miserable losing the divisional series to the Red Sox. Their record will, however, place them in a good place for 2022.
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Brett Phillips has been with the Rays since being traded in the 2020 season. He has also been instrumental in both divisional title races for the Florida franchise. The outfielder is known for hitting, and hitting hard since being drafted by the Astros in 2012. But which pitcher really messed up Phillips?
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Brett Phillips opens up
In a recent interaction with fans on Twitter, the Tampa Bay Ray revealed who he feels most uncomfortable about. In a perhaps not-so-surprising revelation, Phillips called one of MLB’s best over the mound. Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees.
@GerritCole45 … Dude hit me like 5 out of 5 times with sticks last season haha it looked like I had never played baseball in front of him.
– Maverick Phillips (@Brett_Phillips8) January 3, 2022
Crying the encounters he had with Cole on the chin, Phillips said, “I looked like I had never played baseball in front of him.”
And Phillips might not have a case in this case for the best bat record, his memory is doing him a disservice. Gerrit Cole struck out 5 out of 5 batting times during the 2021 season.
Brett Phillips and the Rays will certainly look to improve that record for the 2022 season, but if they want an improvement on their postseason record. Having made an appearance at the World Series in 2020, the roster doesn’t seem to be too far removed from it either.
The front office also performed very well, with manager Kevin Cash winning the AL Manager of the Year award in 2020.
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Gerrit Cole – New York Yankees Mound Keeper
There’s no question that Gerrit Cole was the New York Yankees’ top pitcher last season. In fact, he’s been one of MLB’s top pitchers for the past four years. He’s had a ton of success over his two years with the Yankees.
Boasting a 23-11 record and a 3.11 ERA. He finished second in the AL Cy Young Award vote in 2021 and was an All-Star. But the Yankees will ask more of Cole in 2022.
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In the 2021 season, the Yankees underperformed. Granted, not everything can be put at Cole’s feet, but some certainly can. In the Wild Card Game against the Red Sox, Cole’s performance from the mound may have left some New York fans in need.
He pitched two innings, allowing two homers for a total of three points advantage for the Red Sox. The Yankees lost the game 6-2 and were eliminated from the playoffs.
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Gerrit Cole has proven that he can be a dominant pitcher sometimes, but his playoff performances have left the Stripes begging for more. The playoffs take more credit, especially for historic franchises like the Yankees.
Critical situations are important. The post-season matters. And Cole will definitely make all the upgrades he needs in 2022.
