The New York Yankees didn’t just lose a playoff series — they lost a piece of their identity. When the Toronto Blue Jays sent them home in the AL Division Series, it wasn’t just about cold bats or managerial missteps. It was about the glaring absence of their ace. Gerrit Cole’s presence wasn’t merely missed; it was haunting.

Last fall, the Yankees at least reached the World Series before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a sloppy matchup that slipped away in critical moments. But this year’s early exit felt emptier, as if something essential had been missing from the very first pitch. And that something — or someone — was Cole.

A Rotation Without Its Anchor

The Yankees’ rotation was solid in the Wild Card round, but unraveled almost immediately in the next series against the Blue Ja

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