2025 goes in the Yankees’ history books as a stunningly successful season, considering the amount of talent they lost before the calendar even turned to April. Juan Soto became a multi-faceted Plan B. Then, once the Yankees had seemingly regrouped from his departure, they lost Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil and ace Gerrit Cole in one fell swoop (not an exaggeration; they literally all fell in one swoop).

Still, the Yankees tied for the best record in the American League and defeated their arch rivals (the Red Sox) in the first round of the playoffs. As the surge built, Cole — who underwent Tommy John surgery in March — was around more and more often, watching Cam “Baby Cole” Schlittler help carry the torch. It wasn’t the same, of course. It also wasn’t a success. The Yankees lost the ALDS to the Blue Jays emphatically. The campaign met the standard for some, but not for the Bombers.

But with that one-of-a-kind pressure of the pinstripes also comes a flip side. No other organization comes with this much mental weight, but no other organization comes with this much history and legacy, either. The two are intertwined. Losses are more crushing, but wins? Wins allow you to commune with the ghost. And the best way to attain them is to lead with the full force of the centuries that came before.

Cole was honored on Tuesday night by ALS United of Greater New York, presented with the Lou Gehrig Sports Award for “exemplifying [The Iron Horse’s] values of strength, integrity, and perseverance, both on and off the field”. This is far from the first time Cole learned from and embodied Gehrig’s traits — as he told gathered media on Tuesday, he’d actually written a fourth-grade book report on the Yankees hero.

“To be able to raise awareness for the ALS community and to celebrate Lou Gehrig’s legacy is a tremendous honor,” Cole noted. “As a Yankee, it’s even more special.”

“It is amazing getting to work with individuals like Sarah [Langs], like Gerrit, and our other honorees that have this incredible passion not only for what they do, but for turning what they do into the platform that is going to raise the bar, raise awareness, and support their fellow people in the ALS community,” Kristen Cocoman, President of ALS United Greater New York, told Yanks Go Yard prior to the event.

The organization’s reach, support, and advocacy for those suffering from ALS has increased concurrent with the speed of advancements in the research field over the past year, and partners like Cole have aided in that awareness arm.

Now, after a year spent mainly out of the spotlight, Cole seems more than ready to start making absolutely certain his traits translate to success in the Yankees clubhouse.

Yankees’ Gerrit Cole ready for fruitful 2026 season at ALS United Greater New York Lou Gehrig Legacy Gala

“I was there a lot towards the end, but I certainly missed a lot of time, and a lot of extra time on the road, alluding to some of those conversations you have with rookies,” Cole told Yanks Go Yard. “I’m just excited to see how they progress. I got to know them a little bit, and I’m looking forward to getting into the thick of it with them next year.”

While attempting to stay busy during those long road trips spent away, Cole worked on some of his other skills — piano, cooking spaghetti, and becoming an expert at picking up the kids (to his wife Amy’s apparent relief). Now, though, it’s time to shoulder the legacy of the franchise he grew up dreaming of joining, and use this honor as a springboard into sharing his wealth of knowledge (and powerful advocacy). It may not be Opening Day — Cole demurred at sharing a timeline, but acknowledged that reality — but it’s certainly around the corner in a way it wasn’t last season.