Yankees ace Gerrit Cole holds a very near and dear place in his heart for a certain pop star. One might even call him a Harry Styles stan.
The New York Yankees have a potential Cy Young winner in their hands with star pitcher Gerrit Cole, but even if he doesn't earn league-wide recognition in 2023, he's still a man of the people.
That much was ascertained in a recent article about the Yankees that included a snippet about Cole's personal music tastes.
According to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner, the Yankees — like all sports teams — listen to a postgame music playlist, and after one of their wins Kirschner took notice of a little change-up in the queue.
The Yankees were blaring LMFAO's "Shots" from the sound system, a fine choice of song for college ragers and darties, though arguably not the best pick for 30-year-old men playing in the pro leagues.
Per Kirschner's keen observation, Gerrit Cole stood up in the Yankees clubhouse and changed the music, playing Harry Styles' "Watermelon Sugar" instead. Cole also calls Styles the "F—ING G.O.A.T!", thereby endearing himself to the entire young generation of Yankees fans.
Yankees' Gerrit Cole calls Harry Styles the music G.O.A.T.
We only wish Kirschner could have done a bit of investigative reporting at the moment to find out exactly where and when Cole's Harry Styles' fandom began, but he probably didn't want to kill the vibe.
Like Aaron Rodgers grooving at a Taylor Swift concert, let athletes sing and dance to their musical idols in peace.
Cole struggled through a slump in form in recent weeks and had to exit Saturday's game early due to cramping issues. With the help of his trainers and some good ol' pump up music, Cole should be back on the mound in no time looking to build off of his last two superb pitching seasons.
The five-time All-Star has a signature fastball and a soft spot for Harry Styles — who knew?