2011 Preseason All-America Baseball Team
Gerrit Cole
Right-handed pitcher | UCLAThe Yankees selected Cole in the first round out of high school in 2008, but he opted for UCLA instead of pinstripes and hitters have struggled to a .199 average against him in his first two seasons. As a sophomore, he teamed with Trevor Bauer to help the Bruins lead the nation in strikeouts and finish second in ERA as they reached the finals of the CWS. The 6-foot-4 Cole tallied the third-most strikeouts in the country a year ago thanks to an unhittable combination of a fastball that hits 99 mph and runs in on right-handers, an upper-80s slider and a developing changeup. That repertoire helped Cole notch double-digit strikeouts five times last season, with a high of 15, and should put him easily in the draft's top 10 picks.
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