Luis Gil (baseball)

Luis Gil
New York Yankees – No. 81
Pitcher
Born: (1998-06-03) June 3, 1998 (age 26)
Azua, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 3, 2021, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Win–loss record16–8
Earned run average3.55
Strikeouts214
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Luis Ángel Gil (Spanish pronunciation: [xil]; born June 3, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Gil signed with the Minnesota Twins as an international free agent in 2015, and he made his MLB debut in 2021 with the Yankees. He won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2024.

Career

Minnesota Twins

Minor leagues

Gil signed with the Minnesota Twins as an international free agent on February 12, 2015, for a $90,000 signing bonus.[1] He made his professional debut that season with the Dominican Summer League Twins, going 1–2 with a 4.63 ERA over 23+13 innings. After not pitching in 2016, he spent 2017 with the Dominican Summer League Twins, pitching to a 0–2 record with a 2.59 earned run average over 14 starts.[citation needed]

New York Yankees

On March 16, 2018, the Twins traded Gil to the New York Yankees in exchange for Jake Cave.[2][3] He spent the season with the rookie–level Pulaski Yankees and Low–A Staten Island Yankees, compiling a combined 2–3 record and 1.96 ERA over 12 starts, striking out 68 over 46 innings. He started 2019 with the Single–A Charleston RiverDogs,[4] and was promoted to the High–A Tampa Tarpons in July. Over twenty starts between the two teams, Gil went 5–5 with a 2.72 ERA, compiling 123 strikeouts over 96 innings.[citation needed]

Gil began the 2021 season with the Double–A Somerset Patriots and was promoted to the Triple–A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in June.[5] On July 21, Gil combined with Reggie McClain and Stephen Ridings to throw a no-hitter for the RailRiders.[6]

Major leagues

The Yankees promoted him to the major leagues for the first time on August 3, 2021, making his major league debut with a start against the Baltimore Orioles.[7] He pitched six innings, allowed four hits and recorded six strikeouts, earning the win.[8] Gil started his career with 15+23 scoreless innings, the most by any Yankee pitcher since 1961. He is the first pitcher in MLB history with a scoreless start in his first three appearances.[9]

Gil pitched for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2022, and made one appearance for the Yankees (giving up four earned runs in four innings).[10] He injured his elbow during a May 2022 game and required Tommy John surgery, ending his 2022 season.[11] With Scranton, he was 0-3 with a 7.89 ERA in six starts over which he pitched 21.2 innings and had a WHIP of 1.662.[12]

He began the 2023 season on the 60-day injured list and returned to action in September 2023, making two rehab starts for High–A Tampa. There, he gave up five earned runs in four innings.[12] Gil did not make an appearance in the majors the 2023 season.[12]

The Yankees named Gil to their starting rotation for the start of the 2024 season, following ace Gerrit Cole's injury during spring training.[13] On May 18, Gil recorded 14 strikeouts against the Chicago White Sox, breaking Orlando Hernández's record (13) for the most by a Yankees rookie. Hernández coincidentally threw out the game's first pitch.[14] Gil received the American League Pitcher of the Month after winning all six of his May starts, and conceding an ERA of only 0.70 with 14 hits in 38⅔ innings, along with 44 strikeouts.[15][16] On August 21, the team placed Gil on the 15-day injured list with a lower-back strain, reactivating him on September 5.[17][18] Gil returned to the Yankees' rotation against the Chicago Cubs on September 6, pitching 6 scoreless innings and conceding only one hit to earn his 13th win on the season.[19]

After the season, Gil was named AL Rookie of the Year.[20][21]

References

  1. ^ Kuty, Brendan (August 3, 2021). "9 things to know about Yankees' Luis Gil, who's getting called up". nj. NJ Advance Media for. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  2. ^ Kramer, Daniel (March 16, 2018). "Yankees trade Luis Gil to Twins for Jake Cave". MLB.com. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  3. ^ "NY Yankees trade Jake Cave to Minnesota Twins for pitcher Luis Gil". Northjersey.com. March 16, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  4. ^ Cross, Duane (April 19, 2019). "New York Yankees prospect Luis Gil fans nine in five one-hit innings". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  5. ^ "Yankees prospect Gil has noticed a difference at Triple-A". Newsday. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  6. ^ "Yanks' Triple-A affiliate throws no-hitter". MLB.com. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  7. ^ "Yankees Promote Luis Gil". MLB Trade Rumors. August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  8. ^ "Gil's MLB debut: 6 scoreless, W for Yankees". MLB.com.
  9. ^ "Yankees rookie Luis Gil makes MLB history in doubleheader sweep vs. Red Sox". CBSSports.com. August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  10. ^ "Yankees' right-hander Luis Gil to undergo Tommy John surgery". CBSSports.com. May 21, 2022.
  11. ^ "Yankees' Luis Gil to Undergo Tommy John Surgery". SI.com. May 21, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c "Luis Gil", Baseball Reference.
  13. ^ "Gil named Yankees' No. 5 starter after dazzling spring". MLB.com.
  14. ^ Caldera, Pete. "Luis Gil surpasses Yankees great El Duque with rookie record 14-strikeout performance". Daily Record. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  15. ^ "Here are MLB's 8 top performers from May". MLB.com. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  16. ^ Hickey, Kevin (June 3, 2024). "New York Yankees' Luis Gil earns pair of monthly awards from MLB". Sporting News. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  17. ^ "Luis Gil injury update: Yankees rookie hits IL with back strain amid tight playoff race for AL East title". CBSSports.com. August 21, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  18. ^ "New York Yankees Roster Moves: Luis Gil". thereportonsports.com. September 5, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  19. ^ Hoch, Bryan (September 6, 2024). "Gil 'set the tone for us' during dominant return from IL". MLB.com. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  20. ^ "Pirates' Skenes, Yankees' Gil win Rookie of Year awards". ESPN.com. November 18, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  21. ^ "Yankees' right-hander Luis Gil wins tight race for AL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year". BBWAA. Retrieved November 19, 2024.