“It’s fun to watch two great players do their thing.” In reference to their team’s captain and ace, Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees commented. While Gerrit Cole may have given the New York Yankees fans another reason to love him after a tremendous 2023, his recent remarks about the Los Angeles Dodgers, made in the midst of praising his teammate Aaron Judge, have underscored a pivotal issue at hand.

Both Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge were named to the All-MLB teams. While Cole became part of the first team, Judge had to be in the second because he missed 1/3rd of the season due to injuries. Maybe that’s why Cole set his sights on the Dodgers, aiming to settle the score from the injury Judge suffered against them.

Gerrit Cole praises Aaron Judge and trolls the Dodgers

After both Cole and Judge were named All-Stars, the Yankees Ace shared a few comments to the MLB Network. As MLB.com reported before he started praising Judge, he had a comment for the Dodgers. Since the Yankees’ captain had to miss 2 months of action due to the collision with a low-lying concrete barrier while chasing a fly ball on June 3 at Dodger Stadium, Cole took a jibe at the Dodgers. “Can we get some padding in Dodger Stadium?” Gerrit remarked. 

At the same time, Cole, while praising Judge’s resolve and perseverance, said, “In a weird way, it’s just been really special to watch him go about his business. …This guy played through pain, this guy rehabbed for a long time. He never gave an at-bat away.”

Cole talked about how even when Judge was injured, he still showed up. The captain decided to inspire his teammates through his work ethic and immense perseverance. Judge was also full of praise for Cole when congratulating the ace for his amazing performances.

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All Rise considers Cole to be “the Benchmark”

Judge called Cole “a benchmark” to what an ace should be. Noticing that Cole was a lifelong Yankees fan, he said how everything was coming together for the ace. Still, Judge was a little upset as he said “it hurts” that the Yankees didn’t put together a better season to match what Cole was doing on the mound.

Yet there’s no doubt with recent additions, the Bronx Bombers are in a strong position. Now that the Yankees’ ace has decided to attack the Dodgers, it’ll be interesting to see how the two most star-studded teams in baseball today will go against each other.

Until then, let’s hope the padding does come to the Dodger Stadium.

Read more: Despite Missing 60 Games Aaron Judge’s All-MLB Team Selection Proves His Staggering Skill