Luis Gil

New York Yankees: Takeaways from a new Yankee pitching star

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Last night after a sweep of the Miami Marlins and an embarrassing loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night, the New York Yankees came roaring back with a season-high scoring 13 runs in which a trio of Yankee pitchers made their major league debut. It was the first time in the last 71 years that the Yankees debuted three pitchers in the same game. Lew Burdette, Dave Madison, and Ernie Nevel against Washington on Sept. 26, 1950.

Do we have a new Yankee star?

His name is Luis Gil (pronounced Heel); last night, seemingly out of nowhere stepped onto the mound and pitched six innings of four-hit scoreless ball while walking just one batter for the Yankees. I say seemingly out of nowhere because all the attention in the last two years has been on prospect Deivi Garcia, who made his major league debut in August 2020. Garcia has been a mixed bag and only pitched two games in the majors this year, both of which he lost. He is presently pitching poorly at Scranton.

Meanwhile, quietly working his way up through the minors was Luis Gil. Gil has been making a name for himself this season between the Somerset Patriots and the Scranton RailRiders. He has a blazing fastball that gives him the confidence to pitch in the majors. So when Gerrit Cole went on the Covid list, the Yankees had to choose between Nestor Cortes Jr. and Luis Gil. The Yankees, in a surprise move, selected Gil even though Cortes has been successful.

You could say that Gil last night said to Yankee fans and the Orioles that I am here throwing a 101 mph first pitch of the game. In his first six innings pitching in the majors, he has two 1-2-3 innings. He was nothing short of masterful. His last pitch of the game (88) was a strikeout. With both Cole and Domingo German now on the Covid list, Gil will surely get another start. The Yankees may have a new pitching star on their hands. Nestor Cortes Jr. will pitch later in the week.

Reinforcements are on the way

There is no question that the New York Yankees are short pitching with two starters on the Covid list and an overused bullpen. But reinforcements are on the way. General Manager Brian Cashman has said the both Luis Severino and Corey Kluber should be back with the club between August 20 and September 1st.

Meanwhile, with an overused bullpen, the Yankees brought up Stephen Ridings and Brody Koener. Ridings took the seventh inning after Gil made his amazing start. Ridings was no less; he struck out the side. At the top of the eight, Boone brought in Koener. Koener pitched the eighth and closed out the game in the ninth. He allowed two hits and one run in his debut. It now appears the Yankees have two other options out of the bullpen.

Yankee hit feast leads to an important win

Last night with the series win with the line, the New York Yankees exploded for 13 runs, and the win causing a rubber game tonight. After losing the first game against the Orioles with only 3 hits, last night, the Yankees erupted with a season tie 15 hits. All but one Yankees took part in the hit fest. Giancarlo Stanton led the charge with four RBIs in 5 plate appearances. He also hit a monster home run, his 17th in the fourth inning. The Yankees knocked starter Alexander Wells out of the game after just 2.1 innings.

Six Yankees had multiple hits, and Torres, LeMahieu, Sanchez, Wade had extra-base hits on the night. As a new New York Yankee, Joey Gallo has yet to heat up; he was the only Yankees last night not to get a hit. Nevertheless, the Yankees played a good game last night on all fronts, including errorless play.

 

New York Yankees Recap: Luis Gil shines in his Major League debut, Yankees win 13-1

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After losing game one to the Baltimore Orioles and finding that ace Gerrit Cole tested positive for the coronavirus, another blow beset the Yankees with a second Yankee starter testing positive Jordan Montgomery has now been named as the newest addition to the Covid list. Pitching tonight for the Yankees was Luis Gil (Heel) in his major league debut. The Yankees needed to win this game tonight to have any chance at taking the series from the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees blew out the Orioles 13-1.

In the first inning, Gil took the mound in his debut and flew out Cedric Mullins. Ramon Urias struck out. Ryan Mountcastle reached on a collision with Rizzo. Anthony Santander flew out to Judge in right to end the half and a good first inning for Gil. At the bottom, DJ LeMahieu ground out. Anthony Rizzo flew out to right. Aaron Judge flew out as the Yankees were retired in order. No score.

At the second, Anthony Santander led off against Gil, and he flew out to center. Austin Hays flew out to Torres. Pedro Severino went down looking as Gil had a 1-2-3 inning. At the bottom, Giancarlo Stanton flew out to center. Joey Gallo went down on strikes. Gary Sanchez got a base hit to right-center. Gleyber Torres got an RBI double that split the centerfielders scoring Sanchez from first. Rougie Odor ground out to second, but the Yankees took the lead in the game. New York Yankees 1 Orioles 0.

Maikel Franco led off the third inning by grounding out to short. Pat Valaika ground out to LeMahieu at second. Mullins struck out swinging for another 1-2-3 inning for Gil. At the bottom, Greg Allen led off for the Yankees and was hit by a pitch and went to first. LeMahieu had an RBI double that split the outfielders, with Allen scoring for the second Yankee run. Rizzo doubled, scoring LeMahieu for the third Yankees run, Judge singled to left. With men on the corners and no outs singled, Stanton drove in Rizzo for the four-run Yankee lead. Gallo went down on strikes. Sanchez doubled to the left-field wall, scoring Judge for the inning’s fifth run, knocking out Wells. Torres faced the new O’s pitcher Adam Plutko flew out to center, but Stanton scored for the sixth run off the inning. Odor struck out swinging, but the Yankees brought nine runners to the base scoring six runs. New York Yankees 6 Orioles 0.

In the fourth inning, Urias popped out to Rizzo. Mountcastle ground out to third. Santander singled to center. Hays singled to right. DJ Stewart died. In the Yankees, half Yankees Stanton homered to drive in three runs for the Yankees. Yankees 9 Orioles 0. It was Stanton’s 17th home run of the season.

The fifth and sixth inning was scoreless for both the Yankees and the Orioles. Luis Gil finished his debut night after the sixth inning, giving up just 4 hits while striking out six Orioles in his scoreless New York Yankee debut. His last pitch of the inning was a strikeout. Gil only walked one Oriole in the game.

At the top of the seventh, Stewart stuck out. Severino struck out. Franco doubled down the left-field line. Valaika struck out. Stephen Ridings had three strikeouts in his relief debut.  At the bottom, Stanton ground out. Gallo flew out to center. Sanchez ground out to end the inning. New York Yankees 9 Orioles 0.

The top of the Orioles lineup led off the eighth inning. Mullins against Brody Koener making his debut singled to center. Urias ground out to Wade at third. Mountcastle got an RBI double to let the Oriole on the board. Ryan McKenna ground out. Hays ground out, and Stewart flew out to end the half. At the bottom, Gleyber Torres led off against Shaun Anderson and singled to left field. Odor singled to right. Grey Allen flew out to the warning track in right. Tyler Wade men on the corners and one out hit a double down the right-field line to score Torres and Odor for the Yankee 10 run lead. Wade, on a passed ball, advanced to third base. Rizzo, who was 2 for 4, ground out to second as Wade scored. Judge homered for a solo shot to the short porch in right. Stanton flew out to center, but the Yankees picked up another four runs. New York Yankees 13 Orioles 1.

At the top of the ninth inning and last licks for the Baltimore Orioles, Severino faced Koener still in the game and popped out to Odor. Franco was hit by a pitch and took first. Valaika hit into a double play to end the game as the Yankees bounced back with 13 runs. The final Score was the New York Yankees 13 and the Baltimore Orioles 1. The winning pitcher was Luis Gil, and the loser was Alexander Wells.

 

New York Yankees: Luis Gil to make major league debut tonight

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New York Yankees, luis gil

The New York Yankees entered the day today with a big decision to make. Pitching ace Gerrit Cole was put on the Covid list after testing positive for the virus. He was to start tonight’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. During the game last night, it was mentioned that Nestor Cortes Jr. would most likely get the start.  But late last night, the Yankees called up prospect Luis Gil to make his major league debut.

Gil was acquired from the Twins for Jake Cave in March 2018. In his third year with the New York Yankees, he has become an up-and-coming pitcher of the young arms in the Yankee organization. Fangraphs rates him twelfth in the organization, while Baseball America has him fourth among all Yankees farmhands. Both raters point out his fastball that gets into the high nineties. With the Patriots and Railriders, he has gotten numerous swinging strikeouts. He also has a high-speed changeup and a mid 80’s slider. Scouts say his secret to success is his fastball with movement.

Between the two teams this year, he has a respectable 4.13 ERA and a 4-1 record in his last fifteen games.  Gil strikes out 33% of hitters he faces but also walks too many players, which has dogged his career.

The 23-year-old is 6′ 2″ and weighs 185 pounds. There is no question that Gil will be a major league pitcher; the question will be if it is as a starter or out of the bullpen. But tonight is his night to shine at Yankee Stadium. This is something Gil has waited all of his life for; hopefully, the bright lights of the big park and moment don’t cause him to be overly nervous.

Gill will face the Orioles Alexander Wells, a lefty 1-1 with an ERA of 5.28 and 12 strikeouts in four pitched games. Wells is coming off two straight losses, one to the Tampa Bay Rays and, more recently, one to the Detroit Tigers. In those two games, he gave up seven earned runs. He also walks hitters more than the league average. However, he will have some advantage over the Yankees hitters, as they have never seen him pitch. But the O’s haven’t seen Gil either.

Tonight’s game will be televised on the YES Network, MASN in Baltimore, and nationally on MLBN out of market.

New York Yankees Recap: Luis Gil had a spectacular inning in Yankee loss

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New York Yankees, luis gil

Today was the last game of spring training for the New York Yankees. The game will be at home at George M. Steinbrenner Field before they board a plane for Yankee Stadium. The game was started by the Yankees’ best pitcher in the spring, Domingo German; he faced the Detroit Tigers’ Jose Urena. On their last day in Tampa, they were blessed with an 81-degree game-time temperature, and the game was played under partly sunny skies.

With 13 strikeouts over 9 innings and not having allowed a run in the spring, German took to the mound. Victor Reyes singled off German. Daz Cameron flew out, Jeimer Candelario struck out on three pitches. Miguel Cabrera singled, moving Candelario to third base. The hit fell in no man’s land that couldn’t be caught by three Yankees that tried for. Jonathan Schoop ground out to Urshela to end the half and leave two Tigers on base.

At the bottom, DJ LeMahieu led off. He ended Urena’s season last year when he broke Urena’s wrist with a comebacker. DJ flow out to left. Gleyber Torres walked, and with Aaron Hicks at the plate, he took second on a wild pitch and then took third on a throwing error. Hicks ground out in the infield. Giancarlo Stanton had a rocket double off the left-field wall scoring Torres. Gio Urshela struck out, but the Yankees took the one-run lead.

It should be noted that number two in the lineup Aaron Judge has not been in the last few games. But when questioned, manager Aaron Boone said there is no reason to worry Judge is healthy are ready to start the season. However, it does make you wonder why he has been absent. Boone clarified during the game, saying that he was a bit under the weather but has cleared all the COVID protocols and will be ready.

German was back out in the second facing H.Castro, who popped out to Urshela. Wilson Ramos flew out to Hicks. A pitch hit Isaac Paredes. Akil Baddoo got a home run off German driving in two. That was the first run allowed by German in the spring. Reyes popped out to end the half. Jay Bruce at the bottom ground out to second. Frazier walked, Sanchez ground out into a double play. Detroit Tigers 2 New York Yankees 1.

Cameron led off the third and struck out. Candelario ground out first. Cabrera flew out to right with an excellent running catch by Frazier, giving German a quick 1-2-3 half. Brett Gardner, the Yankee batting average leader, led off the bottom and chopped out to first. LeMahieu was caught looking. Torres ground out for a 1-2-3 inning for Urena.

The fourth inning was led off by Schoop, who struck out on three pitches. H.Castro doubled on a ball that bounced into the stands. Ramos ground out, Castro went to third. Paredes struck out. Hicks walked to lead off the bottom. Stanton got a back-to-back walk, Urshela hit into a double play. Bruce walked, Frazier ground out to third, leaving men on the corners. Tigers 2 Yankees 1.

Baddoo struck out against reliever Chad Green. Reyes doubled to left. Cameron walked. Candelario ground out, but the runners advanced. Cabrera slammed a three-run home run knocking Green out of the game. Schoop faced sidearmer, Darren O’Day. Schoop popped out to Wade, but the Tigers picked up 3 more runs. At the bottom of the fifth, Sanchez struck out his third of the game. Gardner ground out. The Tigers had a pitching change bringing in Derek Holland to face Wade, who ground out. Tigers 5 Yankees 1.

Castro stuck out against Jonathan Loaisiga to start the sixth. Ramos ground out. Paredes ground out to short for a 1-2-3 half for Loaisiga. Estrada at the bottom was caught looking. Hicks had a long single to left and was replaced by Allen as a pinch-runner. Stanton struck out. Urshela struck out. Tigers 5 Yankees 1.

Michael King faced Baddoo at the seventh. Baddoo struck out. Greene struck out, and Cameron lined out. After the stretch, Alvarez struck out, Clint Frazier was called out on strikes, and Higashioka bounced back to Cisnero as the Yankee hitters remained quiet.

Luis Gil out for the eighth struck out Torkelson as he did Nunez. Dingler also stuck out for an impressive strikeout of the side for Luis Gil. At the bottom, LaMarre struck out; Wade bounced out. Estrada got his third home run of the spring. Allen also bounced out. Tigers 5 Yankees 2.

At the ninth, Reggie McClain, who was with the Phillies, last year took to the mound for the Yankees. Short made it to first as the ball got away from Brantly. Garneau at the plate Short stole second. Garneau walked. Paredes hit into a double play as Short went to third. Haase struck out to strand the runner. With last licks on the line for the New York Yankees, sent Seigler to the plate, he hit a very long out to left. Duran singled up the middle. Alvarez followed with a long out to right field. Florial flew out to left to end the game. Final score 5-2 as the New York Yankees only garnered 4 hits. The winning pitcher was Urena, and the loser was German.

 

New York Yankees: David Roberston showcase, Luis Gil, and more

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Yankees still interested in David Robertson

The New York Yankees have had a love affair with David Robertson on a couple of occasions, and that flame may still be burning. The New York Yankee scouts were in attendance at the University of Alabama when Robertson put on a pitching show for several teams, including the Yankees. John Heyman, an insider for MLB Network and regularly contributes to WFAN, and Entercom Radio had this to say about the showcase on his Twitter account:

Former All-Star setup man David Robertson looked good while throwing a showcase yesterday at the University of Alabama, and unsurprisingly, the Yankees were one of many teams in attendance. Any potential contract he’d sign would be low-stakes because he’s in his mid-thirties and hasn’t pitched since April 14, 2019, due to an injured UCL that required Tommy John surgery. The Yankees reacquired the curveball specialist once before joining the memorable 2017 club at the trade deadline after walking away as a free agent in 2014; could another reunion be on the horizon?

Robertson started his career with the New York Yankees in 2008, and for the next seven years, compiled a 33-22 record with an ERA of 2.75. Most of that time, he was the setup man for Mariano Rivera. When Rivera retired, Robertson became the Yankees closer in 2014. He was 4–5 and compiled a 3.08 ERA, was successful on 39 (3rd in the AL) out of 44 save attempts, and struck out 96 batters in ​64 1⁄3 innings, averaging 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Following that season, he became a free agent after the Yankees declined his $15.3 million option—Robertson went to the White Sox.

The New York Yankees came calling as it looked like they would reach the 2017 postseason. From the trade deadline, David pitched in 30 games for the Yankees and was absolutely brilliant. He went 5-0 with an ERA unheard of, just 1.03. The Yankees think they have the best chance in years to get to a World Series this season. Will they again decide if they need Robertson to get there. Only time will tell, but there is no news that they had engaged with him or his agent, but it’s obvious they are at least considering a reunion with attending this pitching demonstration.

Will Luis Gil be a stud for the Yankees?

Luis Gil has been a New York Yankee prospect since 2015. Although he has never gotten as far as Triple-A Scranton, he has continually advanced in the Yankee minor league system. The 22-year-old Dominican is ready to grow into the majors in the next few years.

A Major League scout who sees many of the Yankees’ farm teams distinctly remembers his trip to South Carolina in 2019. He was there for a few days to check in on the Charleston RiverDogs, then the Yanks’ Low-A South Atlantic League affiliate. The scout thinks Gil is a pitcher to watch. He watched Gil start a game during his trip.

The scout who did not wish to be named said the pitches are there – he throws smoke touching 100 mph, his curve is a good one, and he has the makings of a decent changeup – but I don’t know if he’s going to be able to command his stuff for five or six innings once every five days. I see him as a reliever, setup man, or even a closer. He reiterated that he really likes Gil a lot.

Gil, who turns 23 on June 3, probably will begin 2021 with the Double-A Somerset Patriots, the team that is replacing the Trenton Thunder, but pitching his way to Triple-A or even at Yankee Stadium before the season ends isn’t farfetched. Gil’s career took off after he joined the Yankees’ organization. That’s when his fastball average jumped from the mid-90s to the high-90s, which led to impressive numbers. In 2018, he pitched to a 1.96 ERA with 68 strikeouts over 46 innings in 12 starts for rookie-level Pulaski and short-season A Staten Island.

He posted a 2.39 ERA the next year with 112 Ks in 83 innings over 20 starts, the first 17 with Charleston and then three with high-A Tampa. There was no 2020 minor league season, but Gil did pitch in the Dominican Republic’s winter games.

Other teams interested in Brett Gardner

Outfielder Brett Gardner still feels great and will not retire in 2021. According to reports, the New York Yankees have not engaged with the 12-year veteran or his agent. But the ever-popular Yankee has made it clear he wants to play somewhere this season.

Gardner’s last formal contact with the Yankees was when they refused his 2021 $10 million option and paid him $2.5 million to get out of that option for the 2021 season. The Yankees may still negotiate with him; if you recall, they waited until the last minute last season to sign him up for 2020. Gardner has always said he wants to retire a Yankee, but that is up to the Yankee front office.

He is just one season removed from the 2019 campaign when he blasted a career-best 28 home runs and 74 RBI while stealing double-digit bases for the seventh straight season. His versatility has stood out throughout his career as someone who can hit for decent power, play solid outfield defense and be a menace to opposing pitching staffs when he is on the basepaths. His durability has also been important for the Yankees, as he played at least 140 games every year from 2013 to 2019.

Gardner was an All-Star in 2015 and Gold Glover in 2016. He also helped lead the Yankees to a World Series title in 2009, although he hit just .154 in those playoffs. Randy Miller of NJ.com has verified that the Yankees have not engaged with him and that other teams are interested in the veteran’s services.

Report: Scout raves about New York Yankees youth pitcher

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New York Yankees, luis gil

The New York Yankees have an impressive number of youth pitchers that are climbing the ranks quickly. Ranging from Deivi Garcia to Nick Nelson, the expectation is that some of them will even have an impact on the 2021 season. Recently, Luis Medina has been the player in the spotlight, with incredible velocity on his pitches.

However, Luis Gil is another player to keep your eye on, and at 22 years old, he’s starting to reach his potential and represents a solid option for the Yankees down the road. His last major sample size came in 2019 in single-A ball, where he recorded a 2.39 ERA and 12.14 strikeouts per nine. He primarily utilizes a fastball, slider, and change-up, showing impressive command.

A scout told Randy Miller of NJ.com:

“I may have caught Gil on a bad day when I saw him because his command was off, but I saw everything you wanted to see on him,” the scout told NJ Advance Media. “His fastball sat in the high 90s and touched 100.”

“I think Gil’s a reliever,” said the scout, who asked to remain anonymous. “The pitches are there – he throws smoke, his curve is a good one and and he has the makings of a decent changeup – but I don’t know if he’s going to be able to command his stuff for five or six innings once every five days.

“For me, Gil can turn into a really good setup man. Or closer. He has the arm to close. He has the velocity, the makeup … I like him a lot.”

The New York Yankees can give him a look at the top level in a year or two:

Gil is an exciting young prospect that has the potential to be a reliever in the future. With solid velocity and good curve, he might not be starting quality, but he has a variety of pitches that could be helpful in the bullpen. The Yankees always have a strong relief arsenal, and adding to it would only be a benefit.

New York Yankees Prospects: Luis Gil

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

There is one New York Yankees pitching prospect that has maintained his spot over the last year in a very fluid minor league system. We have seen some prospects over time rapidity climb up the system then flame out (Chance Adams), and we’ve also seen guys be at the top of the system and turn into great players at the highest level (Gleyber Torres & Miguel Andujar). Luis Gil is a prospect that a lot of New York Yankees fans should really be excited about. Gil is one of the few minor league pitcher that had a consistently dominant year in 2019. Gil has been a top-five prospect the last couple of years for the Yankees, and when you watch him pitch, it’s easy to see why.

Attack Mode

Standing 6’3, Luis Gil is always in attack mode when he’s on the mound. He possesses a fastball that grades at a 75 on the 20-80 scouting scale. His fastball consistently sits in the 96-99 range and he will flash some three-digit fastballs throughout any game. However, it’s not just the speed of Gil’s fastball, it’s the movement. In watching him a few times, his fastball has great rising action which generates an incredible amount of swing and misses. Batters often look lost against his fastball in a similar way that Gerrit Cole can make major league hitters look lost with his fastball. Gil also has a developing slider and changeup in his arsenal. Last year, Gil posted a 2.72 ERA in 96 innings in A ball. Gil averaged an impressive 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings last year.

What to work on

There are some drawbacks to this top prospect. While Gil has an incredible fastball that could play at the MLB level right now, he really needs to work on his secondary pitches. His slider and change are developing, but they are not close to being MLB ready. Another thing Gil needs to work on is his command. Last season, Gil had a walk rate of 4.5 which was the best in his career. It’s still not a great number, but it’s encouraging to see him tracking in the right direction. You do not see a fastball like Luis Gil’s fastball come through the system every day. If he can tighten up his control and take those average offspeed pitches and make them plus pitches, Gil could be a top of the rotation kind of arm. Whenever the 2020 season begins, Yankees fans should keep an eye on the talented right-hander from the Dominican Republic.