So, the word on the street (and by street, I mean the digital highways of Twitter) is that the New York Yankees have made a pretty interesting call for their No. 5 starter spot. Drumroll, please… It’s Luis Gil, folks! Aaron Boone, the man steering the Yankees’ ship, dropped this bombshell on Sunday. If you’re curious, you can catch the scoop
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Now, Gil’s stepping into some pretty big shoes, previously filled by Gerrit Cole. Cole’s out of the game till possibly June, nursing an elbow issue. Tough break, right? Gil, at 25, isn’t exactly a newbie. He had a bit of a cameo back in 2021, thanks to COVID, and boy, did he leave a mark with a 3.06 ERA across six starts.
But, oh, the drama doesn’t end there. After a single start in May ’22, his elbow waved the white flag. Yup, Tommy John surgery was next. Fast forward to now, and after a killer spring with a 2.31 ERA and 18 strikeouts, Gil’s back in the game.
“I’m really happy about it,” says Gil, and honestly, who wouldn’t be? He’s worked his tail off, aiming for a strong comeback. And it looks like all that sweat in the offseason paid off. But let’s not forget, the Yankees are playing it safe with him, given his recent surgery. They kept him on a tight leash this spring, capping him at four innings or 63 pitches max.
For his first regular season game back, don’t expect Gil to be a marathon man. Five innings, 75 pitches, give or take, seems to be the plan.
Now, here’s where it gets juicy. Baseball America had Gil pegged as the No. 19 prospect for the Yankees before spring. But, they’ve got a bit of a caveat. His changeup and control need some fine-tuning if he’s aiming for the stars as a starter. Otherwise, he might find his niche as a reliever with a knack for dodging bats.
Throughout his time in the minors, Gil’s walks-per-nine-innings stood at a lofty 5.4. Yet, he managed to outshine some stiff competition for that No. 5 starter role, including Will Warren and a couple of seasoned players, Cody Poteet and Luke Weaver. Warren, despite a 4.35 ERA this spring, might still snag a spot as a long reliever, especially with Gil on a pitch count.
In a twist, Nestor Cortes, last year’s All-Star, is stepping up as the Opening Day starter in Cole’s absence. The lineup following him includes Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt, and then Gil. The Yankees are kicking off the 2024 season against the Astros in Houston on March 28. Talk about starting with a bang!
And there you have it. Baseball’s full of surprises, and this season’s no exception. Let’s see how this all plays out on the field.
