Yankees’ Gerrit Cole, Now Clean-Shaven, Looks Like Totally Different Person

Whether he likes it or not, Gerrit Cole’s beard-growing days are over — for the next decade, at least.

The New York Yankees on Wednesday formally introduced Cole, whom they signed to a nine-year, $324 million contract. The press conference offered fans their first look at a clean-shaven Cole, who has rocked facial scruff for the bulk of his career.

And he’ll have to keep the stubble at a minimum, as the Yankees famously bar their players from growing facial hair beyond mustaches.

Take a look:

Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY Sports Images

Weird.

Here are the highlights from Cole’s presser, which was loaded with pandering that bordered on insufferable:

Regardless of how you feel about Cole’s contract, the Yankees’ anti-beard legislation or the Bronx Bombers as a whole, the fact remains New York now has arguably the best pitcher in baseball.

Thankfully for Red Sox fans, Boston actually has a solid history against the hard-throwing right-hander.