The biggest hurdle for Gil to clear is finding a reliable secondary pitch. Gil actually profiles quite similar to the prospect I profiled yesterday, Luis Medina. The Yanks bats failed to get anything going again against Houston pitching. Yankees potential trade target: Frankie Montas. This earned Gil a call-up to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, with some struggles in his initial handful of starts representing an adjustment period to competing against improved opposition. When Minnesota signed Luis Gil out of the Dominican Republic on February 12th, 2015 for $90,000, it likely escaped notice for all but the most diehard Twins fans. At 96.1 mph it placed in the 88th percentile in MLB. NYY News: The rumour mill is working overtime, Yankees in on Soto; Record pace one of the most intriguing second half storylines; Mums the word for Judge on Maris pursuit; Organization senses return of Loisigas true form, Yankees 2, Astros 3: Another tough loss at Minute Maid. They got their first look at the 17 year old in the Dominican Summer League that year a 16-game sample that saw Gil pitch to a 4.63 ERA with more walks that strikeouts. Luis Gil set the MLB record for most consecutive scoreless starts to begin his career, cementing himself as the Yankees best pitching prospect. This was just the prelude to one of the more impressive Yankees debuts in recent memory. Instead of panic, Gil pushed forward, leading to the start that eventually caught the attention of the major league team and earned him his debut. Nine days later, he pitched the second game of a doubleheader against the Red Sox, striking out four in 4.2 scoreless innings. Reggie McClain and Stephen Ridings pitched the last two frames to finish off the Railriders combined no-hitter over the Rochester Red Wings. Getting swept in a doubleheader by your biggest rival is not how you want to begin the second half. Pinstripe Alley Top 10 Yankees Prospects: No. This go-around in the majors was not as smooth sailing for the righty in three starts he allowed 11 runs across 13.2 innings though this could be chalked up to the career-high 106.1 innings on his arm. Hes also flashed a changeup at times, but its nowhere close to being a dependable third pitch. That summer, Gil flashed a mid-90s fastball, catching the eye of Yankees evaluators. As a result, Gil was sent back down to finish the season and was left off the postseason roster. There are also questions about Gils ability to stick in the rotation.
Combined with 90th percentile spin rates in excess of 2,400 RPM, Gils four-seamer is elite when held up against any big-leaguer. He then missed all of 2016 with a shoulder injury before returning to pitch in the DSL in 2017. With only 85 percent active spin, he is not getting all that he can out of his heater. 4, Luis Gil, Yankees 5, Astros 7: Nothing clicked in Houston. Hes got a high octane fastball that operates in the high-90s and can even touch triple digits. His next start came at home against the Mariners, and this one was a real gem five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. He began the 2021 season at Double-A Somerset and excelled in his first seven starts with a 2.64 ERA and 50 strikeouts against only 13 walks in 30.2 innings. NYY @ HOU: Domingo Germn vs. Luis Garcia. Gils first taste of pro ball with the Yankees came in 2018, splitting time between Pulaski and Staten Island. The next season, Gil started at Low-A Charleston before a July promotion to High-A Tampa, pitching to a 2.72 ERA with 123 strikeouts and 47 walks in 96 innings. Miami Marlins (43-49, fourth in the NL East) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (39-54, third in the NL Central), Toronto Blue Jays (50-43, third in the AL East) vs. Boston Red Sox (48-45, fourth in the AL East), Chicago Cubs (35-57, fourth in the NL Central) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (49-43, third in the NL East), San Diego Padres (52-42, second in the NL West) vs. New York Mets (58-35, first in the NL East), Washington Nationals (31-63, fifth in the NL East) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (40-52, fifth in the NL West), Tampa Bay Rays (51-41, second in the AL East) vs. Kansas City Royals (36-56, fifth in the AL Central). And there are signals it could get even better. 2021 Major League Stats: 6 G, 1-1, 29.1 IP, 3.07 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 4.85 xFIP, 11.7 K/9, 5.8 BB/9, 1.345 WHIP, 0.4 fWAR, 2021 Minor League Stats (Double-A Somerset/Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre): 20 G (17 GS), 5-1, 79.1 IP, 3.97 ERA, 13.3 K/9, 5.1 BB/9, 1.311 WHIP, 2022 Expected level: Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and MLB.
It appears the Yankees still have designs on keeping him in the rotation, and the development of his slider and changeup as legitimate offerings will go a long way in deciding his fate. The Yankees and Astros wrap up their season series with the doubleheader nightcap. All sources have Gils floor as a high-leverage reliever, with some believing him to be an ideal setup man or closer. Scanning the various prospect ranking publications, its clear many were impressed with Gils dazzling debut. That said, his fastball alone can take him far. Copyright: ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Then 2020 brought the cancellation of the minor league season, but Gil earned an assignment to the clubs alternate site, so the year wasnt a complete loss. The second-best pitcher likely available at the deadline is a fascinating mix of top-end potential and uncertainty. AL 3, NL 2: Giancarlo takes liftoff, wins All-Star MVP, Yankees 2022 draft pick tracker, social media guide, Yankees absolute dream trade target: Juan Soto, MLB Draft 2022: Yankees select Spencer Jones with 25th overall pick, Yankees potential trade target: Luis Castillo, The 25 Best Yankees Games of the Past 25 Years. Despite this outstanding trio of starts, with Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomerys returns from the COVID-19 IL, Gil was optioned for a three-game stretch to Triple-A before being called back up the second week of September. Gil received his big league call-up on August 3rd, debuting at home against the Orioles. In 12 starts, he sported a 1.96 ERA with 68 strikeouts and 31 walks in 46 innings. At that point, Gil was still considered nothing more than a lottery ticket, but thanks to his hard work over the last four years and the Yankees developmental staff, Gil has cemented himself as one of the consensus top prospects in New Yorks system, with a real chance to lock down a major league roster spot this season. MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus all have him ranked fourth in the organizational standings with Pipeline grading him at 94th in the MLB top 100 while Keith Law places him fifth and FanGraphs the outlier at eleventh. He throws a slider about 30 percent of the time, but struggles to find a consistent release point, leading to unpredictable location and pitch shape. Like Medina, he has shaky-at-best command, walking roughly 15 percent of the batters hes faced at every level. He pitched six scoreless innings, giving up only four hits and a walk to go along with six strikeouts. On July 21st, Gil tossed six no-hit innings with nine strikeouts.
They were impressed enough to trade for the youngster, sending their 2011 sixth round draft pick Jake Cave to Minnesota. In those five starts, Gil allowed 13 runs in 22 innings good for a 5.32 ERA. In doing so, he became the first pitcher in MLB history with a scoreless start in his first three outings, and his 15.2 scoreless innings is the longest streak to start a career of any Yankee since 1961. The higher that active spin creeps up, the more rise and late riding life the pitch will achieve.