While New York Yankees fans have been thrilled with the outstanding start of rookie pitcher Luis Gil, his time in the starting rotation could reportedly soon come to an end.
Luis Gil has been a revelation for the Yankees so far this season. There were many supporters of the team who had major concerns about how the team would fair with ace Gerrit Cole expected to be sidelined for the first few months of the season. However, the 25-year-old has shockingly filled the void of the 2023 American League Cy Young.
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The youngster has started the year with a 6-1 record and leads the starting rotation in ERA and strikeouts. Gil has played a pivotal role in the team having the second-best record in all of baseball heading into the MLB games today. However, there is a two-pronged problem on the horizon for the team.
On Thursday, The Athletic Yankees reporter Brendan Kuty took an in-depth look at Gil’s strong start but also spotlighted the major decision the organization will have to soon make. Firstly, Cole is inching closer to a return to the rotation, and while manager “[Aaron] Boone didn’t rule out a six-man rotation when Cole returns, it seems unlikely considering it’s not how they’ve operated in the past.”
Then there is the issue of the amount of work Luis Gil has already had this season. The youngster has thrown just over 55 innings, and that is already the third most of his career. At this rate, he is likely to blow past that, and that is always a concern with young pitchers and tiring late in the season.
- Luis Gil stats (2024): 6-1 record, 2.11 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 70 SO, 29 BB, 55.1 IP
Clarke Schmidt threw over 40 more innings than his previous high in 2023 and it delivered middling results, especially late in the season. That is why it is highly likely the team eventually starts to pull back on Gil’s workload and Kuty claims a move to the bullpen is very possible. However, that also comes with its own pros and cons.
“Gil hasn’t pitched in relief since he was in Triple-A in 2021, but his fastball-changeup combination and ability to control his workload in shorter stints could tempt the Yankees to transition him to the bullpen at some point,” Kuty wrote.
It will be interesting to see how things play out once Cole is ready to return to the rotation.
