Luis Gil was one of the Yankees’ most intriguing prospects following 2021, when he showed off his four-seamer and slider as a two-pitch combination. He would suffer greatly in 2022, see his season cut short by a UCL rupture, and require Tommy John surgery, which would keep him out of action for the majority of 2023. According to Andy Martino of SNY, the team will stretch out the young right-hander as a starting pitcher now that he has fully recovered from the elbow treatment. He is the talk of the camp.
Gil’s strategy is to continue stretching him out as a starter while keeping the door open to trying him in a pen role.The changeup this spring has improved, according to Yankees brass. Austin Wells, who faced Gil on Thursday and last faced him in spring training in 2021, feels the same way.
Luis Gil aims to make an impression in Spring Training and earn a spot back in the Yankees’ long-term plans. With a maybe better changeup, he could be a solid depth option for the rotation.
Arms that have not yet made their team debuts, such as Will Warren, Chase Hampton, and Clayton Beeter, are receiving a lot of attention and should see extensive action throughout Spring Training. Even though he will be recovering from Tommy John surgery, Luis Gil is equally as skilled as that group and possesses what is maybe the best material. Austin Wells praised the Dominican-born righty’s power four-seamer, claiming it reached 97 mph. Wells also praised the pitch’s appearance from behind the plate and in the batter’s box.
He had a fantastic changeup off of his fastball. He found it with good accuracy, and the speed differential was respectable. He’s obviously working hard to get back to his previous level; today, I believe he hit 96–97.
The Yankees will need some depth arms to step up in addition to their major players to shoulder their workload if they are to effectively stop runs in 2024. Since the Bronx Bombers will have all hands on deck, injuries are inevitable; the only questions are who gets hurt and how long they wind up out. Luis Gil has a 3.78 ERA and 4.13 FIP in seven Major League starts. He has struck out 29.1% of batters he has faced, but he has also walked 14.2% of them.
