Prior to Friday’s game, Aaron Boone made it clear what it meant to the Yankees to have Gerrit Cole back on the mound: “We’re excited to get our ace back.”

Cole returned against the Rays in The Bronx, having last pitched in a major league game in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.

And he looked every bit as good as the Yankees remembered after missing a year-plus following March 2025 Tommy John surgery.

The 35-year-old pitched six shutout innings, allowed two hits and three walks.

He struck out just two and was removed after just 72 pitches- with lefty Brett Headrick taking over to start the seventh.

Gerrit Cole throws a pitch during the Yankees’ May 22 game. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

It was exactly what the Yankees wanted to see from Cole.

He started off with a 96-mph four-seam fastball to Chandler Simpson before the speedster poked a single over shortstop to lead off the game.

A walk to Junior Caminero put the Yankees and Cole in a dangerous spot, but Cole got Simpson leaning off second and got him caught in a rundown for the second out before the right-hander struck out Yandy Diaz looking to end the inning.

The right-hander, who was initially expected to make one more minor league rehab start before his return to the Yankees rotation, was certainly major-league ready.

After allowing a leadoff walk in the second, Cole retired the next 10 batters he faced before Cedric Mullins’ one-out single in the fifth.

And he threw hard throughout the outing, consistently hitting 96-plus and topping out at 98.6 mph before Boone went to the bullpen with the Yankees leading, 1-0.