The New York Yankees have finally lost their first series of this season. Even though it’s the hitting that failed, one can imagine they’re wondering how good their ace’s presence would’ve been.

After all, despite great performances, the Bronx Bombers’ pitching staff would look far better with Gerrit Cole playing. But how better would they be? Legendary Hall-of-Famer Reggie Jackson has just shared that and may have even rubbed some salt on the Yankees’ wounds.

USA Today via Reuters

While Jackson is a Yankees legend, he’s currently a major rival of the team. Serving as the special advisor to the Houston Astros Jackson’s comments came as a comparison. In an example to explain how losing key players can derail the season, he inevitably called Cole “the best pitcher in baseball” but followed that up with an example that the Yankees wish doesn’t come true.

Reggie Jackson’s great label for Gerrit Cole could also be a warning 

Reggie Jackson recently appeared in the New York Post’s “The Show Podcast.” Hosted by Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman, they extensively talked about the Oakland Athletic’s move and how the Astros and Yankees are looking at this point of the season. The discussion inevitably shifted to injuries where Jackson said that if players miss more than 30 games, it can completely derail a team’s campaign.

“Cole – he’s the best pitcher in baseball. I think last year, what was he 15 and 4, you know something like that,” Jackson said about the Yankees’ ace. “But you know, the Yankees weren’t 10-12 games over .500 – he was! And so when you lose that you know, 90 and 70 becomes 80 and 80…Yuck!”

Jackson’s reference makes sense in hindsight. Cole’s 15-4 was an anomaly for the Bronx Bombers who were 82-80. If anything he saved them from having their first losing season since the 90s. As a result, Gerrit Cole’s impact cannot be overstated. Will his absence affect the team? Possibly.

Even though the Yankees are currently 12-6, they were 12-3 just a few days ago. That’s how quickly things change in baseball and that’s why they can’t take their good start for granted. Luckily for the Yankees, Cole’s comeback is looking nearer after a recent positive report.

The ace’s increased throwing distance sends the New York Yankees smiling

Last week reports of Cole beginning to throw gave the Yankees fanbase a reason to celebrate. While his comeback to the mound was still far, the superstar’s progress has been encouraging. However, this week the Cy Young winner has taken a massive step in his recovery. Per Empire Sports Media, Aaron Boone has shared that Cole has already “upped the volume a little bit.”

However, the biggest news is that the superstar is expected to start throwing from 75 feet this week. While he’s still doing that on flat ground, this growth takes Cole even closer to the mound. Though he’s still set to miss almost all of May, the fact that his elbow isn’t having many issues right now is a great sign. Hopefully, that remains the case in the future too. However, until then the New York Yankees’ pitching staff has a lot of work to do and as of now, they are up for the challenge.