VIDEO: Gerrit Cole Discusses How Awesome it Was to Put on Yankees Pinstripes for the First Time

If Gerrit Cole didn't fully feel like a Yankee this offseason, even after his tear-jerking press conference, we can forgive him. After all, you can shave your beard as many times as you like -- it doesn't always feel real until the Pinstripes come on. As a part of the festivities during Spring Training's first week, Cole got to put the gear on for real, and reflected on the immensity of that honor.

"It was pretty cool. I took a minute to look at myself in the mirror, full head-to-toe pinstripes...yeah, it's kind of like a dream," Cole said, of his first time donning the uniform for some preseason promos.

Cole will toe the rubber against big league hitters while rocking the navy and blue for the first time on Monday night, battling against the Pirates, the team he started his big league journey with.

But if you believe him, he's always been a Yankee, through it all. That status just became a bit more official earlier this week.