Yoshinobu Yamamoto has best start of 2024 in World Series Game 2 [Video]

In 2019, when Gerrit Cole spurned his hometown Angels to sign with the New York Yankees, his agent did not mince words in explaining why.

“It really came down to a decision about world championship play,” agent Scott Boras said then. “He and [wife] Amy’s primary goal was to win a world championship. In the end, he had to make a very difficult decision, but in his mind, that pursuit of those world championships was something that was in the forefront of his final decision.”

The Yankees have the most championships of any major league team. In awarding Cole what was then the richest contract for a pitcher in baseball history, the Yankees outbid the Dodgers. And, in his fifth season with the Yankees, Cole is in the World Series.

Last year the Dodgers beat out the Yankees for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers guaranteed him $325 million, $1 million more than the Yankees committed to …