Gil 'kicked in the door,' then won AL Rookie of the Year

Luis Gil’s season began with a demotion to Minor League camp some three weeks before Opening Day, only to be summoned back across the street when his services were needed in the starting rotation. It concluded on Monday with the right-hander being named the 2024 American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year.

In one of the closest Rookie of the Year tallies in recent history, Gil totaled 106 points (15 first-place votes, 10 second-place votes and one third-place vote) to best two other finalists, Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser (101 total points) and Yankees batterymate Austin Wells (17 total points), as announced on MLB Network.

• All-time Rookie of the Year Award winners

With five points separating Gil and Cowser, only the 2003 AL Rookie of the Year race between the Royals’ Angel Berroa (88 points) and the Yankees’ Hideki Matsui (84 points) has been tighter since the BBWAA went to a three-player ballot in 1980. Wells received three second-place votes and eight third-place votes.

“It means so much to me,” Gil said through an interpreter. “I’m so happy about being able to win this award. Everybody in my corner, they’re so happy for me right now and so proud. I’m also proud of the opportunity that was given to me by the team. It turned out to be a great season for me, a great experience.”

The 26-year-old Gil is the first Yankee to win Rookie of the Year since Aaron Judge in 2017, and the first Yankees pitcher to bring home the award since Dave Righetti in 1981. He is the 10th Rookie of the Year in Yankees history, the most of any AL team.

“Congratulations to Luis on an amazing season,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said in a statement. “He worked so hard to put himself in a strong position heading into Spring Training after coming back from Tommy John surgery. Without a guarantee of a Major League spot, he absolutely kicked in the door this spring and went on to have a phenomenal rookie season.”

In 29 starts this season, Gil posted a 15-7 record with a 3.50 ERA. Across 151 2/3 innings, he permitted 104 hits and 77 walks while striking out 171, with the league managing a .189/.297/.345 slash line.

Gil led AL pitchers (minimum 150 IP) in opponents' batting average and was second in hits per nine innings (6.17). He was fourth in the AL for K/9 IP (10.15), sixth in opponents' slugging and 10th in opponents' OPS (.643). He also paced all AL rookies in wins and tied for the rookie lead in strikeouts.

His breakout began on March 11, when Gil was called back from Minor League camp as a fill-in for ace right-hander Gerrit Cole, who would travel to Los Angeles seeking opinions on his ailing pitching elbow. Showcasing his crackling arsenal that day in Clearwater, Fla., Gil handcuffed the Phillies to one hit over 3 2/3 innings, striking out eight.

“Coming into Spring Training, the mindset was really focused on doing my job on the field and trying to help the team as much as possible,” Gil said. “Eventually this opportunity started sounding as something that could happen. I’m very happy with the results.”

Placed on his first Opening Day roster, Gil effectively filled the gap left by Cole's absence, proving to be further along than expected following recovery from Tommy John surgery. In 14 starts until Cole rejoined the rotation on June 19, Gil was 9-1 with a 2.03 ERA, holding opponents to a razor-thin .142 batting average and a .495 OPS.

Gil allowed three runs or fewer in 22 of 29 starts, two runs or fewer in 18 starts and one or zero runs in 17 starts. His 17 starts of one or zero runs tied the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet of the White Sox for the most in the Majors. They were also the second most by a Major League pitcher since 1893 (Philadelphia’s George McQuillan had 21 in 1908), when the mound was moved to its current distance of 60 feet and six inches, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Gil made his Major League debut in 2021, when he logged a 3.07 ERA over six starts. His ’22 campaign was limited to one May start due to a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. Gil had four outings of one hit with at least six innings (May 7 vs. Houston, May 23 vs. Seattle, June 4 vs. Minnesota and Sept. 6 at Cubs). He was the AL’s Pitcher of the Month and Rookie of the Month in May, when he went 6-0 with a 0.70 ERA in six starts.

One of Gil’s season highlights came on May 18 against the White Sox, when he struck out a career-high 14 batters to surpass Orlando Hernández’s rookie franchise record of 13 (set Aug. 13, 1998 vs. Texas). Coincidentally, “El Duque” was in the building and posed for photographs with Gil on the mound, saying he saw a bright future ahead.

Gil said that he considers being named the Rookie of the Year “a blessing,” noting that it may mean even more to the people of his hometown of Azua in the Dominican Republic. He is already thinking about how to perform better in 2025.

“For me, it has to do with control and command,” Gil said. “That’s what I really want to take the next step in my career. Given the opportunity to pitch, I think that’s something I can keep improving as I keep growing.”