King of the Gil: Luis Gil Has Been Lights Out for the New York Yankees
When New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole suffered an elbow nerve inflammation and edema in mid-March, the team’s pitching rotation took a significant blow. Nestor Cortes got moved up to the main starter, followed by Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, and Clarke Schmidt. The Yankees needed a fifth man in the lineup, and along came Luis Gil. Gil, who New York acquired in a 2018 trade with the Minnesota Twins, had a strong spring training that was highlighted by his eight strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies. Gil has taken advantage of his opportunity thus far, as he is one of the best rookie pitchers in the MLB at the moment, leading to the Yankees’ massive success this season.
Gil made his first start of the season in a 5-2 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 1st, going four and two-thirds innings, giving up one run and retiring six batters. Gil had his worst performance of the season 25 days later in a 7-6 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, giving up five runs off seven hits, two of them being homers. After that, Gil started to explode on the mound, including a career-high 14-strikeout performance against the Chicago White Sox. His 14 strikeouts were the highest ever from a Yankee rookie.
In his last two starts, Gil has combined for 17 strikeouts, three hits, and four walks. His 1.99 ERA is the sixth-lowest in the MLB, and his seven wins amassed is tied for second-most. Gil had a perfect May, boasting a 6-0 record and a 0.78 ERA. His historic month has resulted in many eyes on the 25-year-old who has a nasty slider and fastball that has retired many.
Cole is set to return to the starting lineup in about a month, poising the question of who would be dropped from the five-man rotation. That question may have been answered today, as Schmidt was placed on the injury list with a right lat strain. He’s expected to go 4-6 weeks of no throwing, plus the additional time needed for rehabilitation. This means that if Cole returns within the period that Schmidt is out, Gil will most likely remain in the starting rotation. Once Schmidt returns, the Yankees could have a six-man rotation or drop someone to the bullpen. If Gil keeps up his outstanding form, there is no doubt he will remain a starter, looking to lead New York to a World Series.
