Yankees summer camp game thread: Gerrit Cole vs. Michael King

If you tuned into the Yankees first intrasquad scrimmage last night, you were treated to a bizarre affair. The teams used, shall we say, unconventional defensive alignments, and pitchers got their PFP drills in mid-game. One side had a pair of designated hitters.

We’ll see what tonight holds. Nominally, the starting pitching matchup is intruiging, with Gerrit Cole set to square off with promising prospect Michael King. Cole, of course, requires no introduction. After dialing in a 2.50 ERA and 326 strikeouts in 212.1 innings last year, and after signing the richest contract for a pitcher in history, Cole has a claim as the best starter on the planet. He’s slated to toss about 50 pitches tonight.

King has made a name for himself on the Yankees’ farm, progressing through a few minor-league levels the past couple years before earning a quick cup of coffee in the majors last September. A 25-year-old right-hander, King ended up with middling topline numbers in 2019, yielding 12 runs in 23.2 Triple-A innings, but he dazzled with a 1.79 ERA across 161.1 minor league innings in 2018. King can sit in the low-to-mid 90s with his four-seam fastball, and brings along a usable slider and changeup.

Here are the lineups for the Yankees and the Bombers:

First pitch is scheduled for 7 pm EST, and TV coverage begins at 6 pm EST on the YES Network.