​Cole Gabrielson didn’t envision his Triple-A debut unfolding this way. In his first appearance for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on June 19, he found himself summoned to pitch in the bottom of the seventh with two outs in the second game of a doubleheader against Columbus. The last time he had to throw a ball in anger was more than five years earlier, back when he played for the Niagara Power, a summer collegiate team, before turning pro. He jumped ahead to 0-2 on the first batter he faced, Milan Tolentino, only to issue four consecutive balls and walk Tolentino to load the bases. Gabrielson then faced Dom Nuñez and again moved in front 0-2, before Nuñez lined out to shortstop on the next pitch to end the inning and seal an 8-6 victory for the RailRiders, earning the save.
“I got the heads-up right before the inning started,” Gabrielson recalled. “They said Brad Hanner had 10 more pitches, and if he used them up, I’d be in. That was the only heads-up I got, but it all worked out perfectly. I was able to grab the save, which was pretty funny. I was just glad I could help the team win that day. You never plan to come in and pitch, but I’m always ready to throw strikes if they need me. It was fun, and I’m glad we got the win.”
The adventure continued a few days later, on June 24, in Indianapolis, when the RailRiders faced more in-game intrigue. Oswaldo Cabrera had temporarily joined the Yankees due to Ryan McMahon’s illness, leaving the RailRiders short on infielders. Gabrielson was pressed into action at second and later at third base. He committed two errors in an 8-6 defeat, a reminder that baseball can present unexpected challenges even for versatile players.
“It’s a different game in there,” Gabrielson explained. “I’ve never played infield professionally, so it’s a learning curve. We needed someone to step in, and I was ready to move wherever the manager needed me. They tried to position me where the ball wouldn’t be hit to me as much, but that’s just how baseball goes—the ball finds you. I had one good play up the middle, but a couple of plays got away from me, too.”
In total, Gabrielson has appeared in five RailRiders games since being promoted from Double-A Somerset on June 17. He’s hitting .250 (5-for-20) with one RBI in the current stint. The Yankees signed him as a nondrafted free agent in 2023 after he played college baseball at the University of Southern California. He spent last season entirely with Double-A Somerset, batting .188 (43-for-229) across 77 games with nine doubles, one triple, six home runs, and 30 RBIs. This season, he started at High-A Hudson Valley, hitting .256 (20-for-78) in 33 games with one homer and five RBIs before returning to Somerset on June 3, where he posted a .289 average (11-for-38) in 11 games with two home runs and three RBIs. Now in Triple-A, he continues to showcase his flexibility, willingness to fill any role, and readiness to contribute whenever his name is called. His journey reflects a player adapting on the fly and always prepared to help his team win, no matter the position or the moment.