Yankees Mag: Only the Beginning

Luis Gil has elevated his game to a level that few -- if any -- people around baseball could have seen coming. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2022, Gil missed the remainder of that season and made just two Minor League appearances in 2023. But after coming into Spring Training this year just hoping to earn a roster spot, Gil stepped up, grabbing the spot in the starting rotation that opened due to Gerrit Cole’s injury before the team headed north for Opening Day.

But that was only the beginning of Gil’s story. The right-hander has proven to be much more than a fill-in for Cole, establishing himself as one of the most productive starting pitchers in the American League. In his first 14 starts of 2024, the 26-year-old from Azua, Dominican Republic, racked up a 9-1 record with a 2.03 ERA and 90 strikeouts.

During the month of May, Gil earned victories in all six of his starts and posted a 0.70 ERA. He also joined right-hander Steve Kline as the only pitchers in Yankees history to allow no more than one run in six consecutive starts. (He would take the mantle himself in his first June start.) For his outstanding work, Gil earned American League Pitcher of the Month honors along with the AL Rookie of the Month Award, becoming only the fourth player in AL history to earn both accolades in the same month.

In mid-June, Gil, assisted by Yankees bilingual media relations coordinator Marlon Abreu, spoke with Yankees Magazine editor-in-chief Alfred Santasiere III about his journey from the gloom of the injured list to the bright lights of Yankee Stadium.

Yankees Magazine: How would you describe your seven-year odyssey through the Minors, starting in 2015 when you were 16 years old?

Luis Gil: I have to thank God for the opportunity that I was given at such a young age. To be able to sign back then with the Minnesota Twins, where I spent three years before getting traded to the Yankees, that gave me a great start. There were some challenging times, especially when I had shoulder surgery [and missed the entire 2016 season], but making progress after I came back from that was very satisfying. I was excited when I got traded to the Yankees in 2018, because I was joining an organization with so much history; a team that everyone in the Dominican Republic admires. It was a dream come true to come to this organization. When I think back on getting to the majors with the Yankees, I couldn’t have been more happy.

YM: What was that first day at Yankee Stadium like for you when you made your big league debut back in August 2021?

LG: I was actually getting ready to pitch the next day in Triple-A, and I received a call from our pitching coach informing me that I was going to the big leagues. I couldn’t sleep that night; I was more excited when I called my mom with that news than even when I took the mound. I was over the moon. I will always remember what it was like when I got to Yankee Stadium and saw it in real life for the first time. My teammates here were really welcoming, and that helped a lot. It was an exciting time.

YM: You certainly showed glimpses of greatness back then, setting a team record with 18 2/3 scoreless innings to start your career. Do you feel as if getting that big league experience under your belt has helped you this season?

LG: Absolutely. That short period of time at this level was very important for me. It helped me to create a path back to the Yankees after being out for a while. Without having had that time in the big leagues, I would be doing so many things for the first time this season. I’ve been able to make adjustments this season based on things that I learned then.

YM: What was the most difficult aspect of having to go through Tommy John surgery in 2022 and the recovery that would keep you off the big league mound for almost two full seasons?

LG: It was a definitely a tough time. The worst part of it all was knowing that even if everything went well with the surgery, I was still going to be away from the game for a long time. That’s a lot of time when you are just getting started. But, a few months after the surgery, my daughter was born, and that was the shining light during that time. She helped me find motivation to keep moving forward, to put all of my effort into the rehab and work that needed to be done to get back onto the field. I was able to spend a lot of time with her, and that was something I will always look at as a blessing.

YM: What were your goals going into Spring Training this season?

LG: The focus was to get stronger. I needed to improve the strength in my arm and my shoulder. I had to do a lot of work to create more muscle and more stamina before Spring Training because I had only been on the mound two times in 2023. I put myself in a good situation going into Spring Training, and I was prepared for a long season.

YM: After getting through a rocky two-inning appearance in the first game of Spring Training, you really took off. How important was your March 11 performance against the Phillies, when you struck out eight batters in 3 2/3 innings?

LG: Coming into Spring Training, I wanted to be in the best position to be able to help the team in any way possible, but I knew that I had a lot of work to do in those first few weeks. Pitching the way I did in the Phillies game, I felt like I was close to where I was before the injury. I was finally feeling like I could do this. It felt right. I gained a lot of confidence in that game.

YM: Aaron Boone recently called your changeup a “genuine second pitch factor.” How has your improved command allowed you to throw the change so much more effectively this season than in the past?

LG: Once I regained my strength, the next step for me in my career development was to be able to command pitches. I’ve been able to do that through a combination of things. Working with (pitching coach) Matt Blake and also having a lot of conversations with Gerrit Cole and Marcus Stroman has helped me to do that. We have talked frequently about mechanical adjustments, which I first made in bullpen sessions and then on the mound during games.

YM: Is there anything in particular that Gerrit or Marcus has imparted that has made a difference?

LG: Those guys are always giving me advice, and because of the experience that they both have, when I make an adjustment, I usually feel confident about it. The biggest thing was learning how to command my secondary pitches -- not just the fastball -- and from a mental perspective, I’ve put in a lot of work toward doing that. If I’m a little bit out of sync mechanically, Gerrit has helped me make adjustments quickly. Also, as you go through a game, you can’t make mistakes; you need to throw every pitch in a way that is mechanically sound. That’s something he’s helped me to do, just by sharing how he’s been able to be so consistent from the early part of the game through the late innings.

YM: You put together a month for the ages in May. Could you have ever imagined dominating the competition at this level while you were recovering over the last two seasons?

LG: As a player, you have so many goals and so many dreams. When you dream high, it helps you to keep working hard. It motivates you to get to that kind of level; it keeps you locked in. So, I think I’m just blessed to be surrounded by the coaches on this team and with teammates who have so much experience and who have reached the highest heights. When you’re around Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole, you are literally surrounded by players who are setting new records in front of you, and that’s inspiring. I knew that I had the potential to pitch really well, but now I’m able to combine my own ability with all of the advice I’m getting from the people on this team. That has helped me elevate my game.

YM: After Orlando “El Duque” Hernández threw a ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium on May 18, you went out and broke his Yankees rookie record for strikeouts in a game. What stands out from that afternoon in the Bronx?

LG: That day started out like any other. I was really focused on what I wanted to do on the mound. I knew that I had to command my pitches and have a good plan of attack. When the game was over, Aaron Boone told me that I had broken El Duque’s rookie strikeout record and that he was still at the Stadium. I got to spend a few minutes with El Duque outside of our clubhouse, and then we walked out to the mound to pose for a few photos together. It was great to meet him, especially since I had not met him before that. It was a really nice moment for us to be tied together on the same day. He told me that he was happy for me and excited. He also gave me some great advice. One of the things he said was to never stop working hard, regardless of how well things go in the future.

YM: There are plenty of legendary pitchers who have never struck out seven batters in a row, the way that you did that afternoon. Do you recall ever putting together a stretch like that at any level?

LG: That was the first time I had ever struck out seven batters in a row at any time in my life. I felt like everything was working in a way that I had not experienced before.

YM: What were you doing from a mental perspective that contributed to that type of streak?

LG: It sounds cliché, but I was really trying to focus on commanding every pitch, in order to get ahead of every batter and stay ahead of them in the count. During that stretch, I was able to dominate one pitch after another, and once that starts to happen, you begin throwing the next pitch with more confidence. That allows you to throw just about every pitch in the strike zone.

YM: What does it mean to be just the fifth player in MLB history to win the American League Pitcher of the Month Award and the league’s Rookie of the Month Award at the same time?

LG: It’s exciting to talk about. When you think about the history of baseball, there have been so many great players. The fact that there have only been a few people to have done this brings me a lot of happiness. But you still have to keep it in perspective. It’s all about continuing what I’ve been doing, so that I have other opportunities in the future. I hope that what I’ve accomplished to this point is only the beginning for me.

YM: How much have you enjoyed the days you are not on the mound, and are instead watching the likes of Marcus Stroman, Carlos Rodón and Nestor Cortes make one great start after another this season?

LG: It’s great to see them go out there and do their thing. It’s been fun to watch them do so well because they’ve all worked so hard. Besides being happy for those guys, I’m constantly taking notes when they are out there and trying to learn about my craft from them. I’m looking at what is working for them and figuring out how I can do the same things.

YM: Especially considering how much you’ve come back from, what would it mean to you if you were selected to pitch in the 2024 All-Star Game?

LG: It would mean so much to be in the same clubhouse as the best players in the game. When you think about the All-Star Game, the rosters are filled with superstars and future Hall of Famers. Just getting to share the same space with that group of guys and getting the chance to talk to them would be the thing I would be most excited about.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Alfred Santasiere III is the editor-in-chief of Yankees Magazine. This story appears in the July 2024 edition. Get more articles like this delivered to your doorstep by purchasing a subscription to Yankees Magazine at www.yankees.com/publications.