Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt returned to the Yankees’ rotation seamlessly. The implications for September, October and the future all turned rosier.
The duo pitched a combined three times off the IL as the Yanks took two of three from the Cubs and Royals. They were involved in three of the Yankees’ four wins in those series, combining for 15 ²/₃ innings and one run allowed.
“It has just been stabilizing,” pitching coach Matt Blake said. “We’ve added two high-quality, talented pitchers, and it just thickens up everything.”
Luis Gil reacts as he walks back to the dugout after striking out MJ Melendez during the Yankees’ win over the Royals on Sept. 11, 2024.
The Yankees arguably have more pitchers throwing well than at any time this season. In the first six games since Gil (lower back) came off the IL, the Yankees’ 1.64 ERA and .177 batting average against heading into Friday were the majors’ best. It has begun to feel like the early portion of the season, when the Yankees played their best and they were, in particular, getting strong starts daily from a Gerrit Cole-less rotation.
It is how they built the best record in the majors in that time. It feels as if this would need to be a strength the rest of the way for the Yanks to hold off Baltimore and win the AL East. And at this moment — and there is a lot to go in health, performance and determining opponents — Gil and Schmidt seem to have a strong chance to be in a postseason rotation with Cole and Carlos Rodon. That would leave Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman as the odd men out, but — again — much could happen in the next 2 ¹/₂ weeks.
Then there is even a bigger picture. If the Yankees are going to re-sign Juan Soto and meet Hal Steinbrenner’s mandate to begin driving payroll down below $300 million, they need to have impact delivered from the other side of the salary scale.
That means Gil and Schmidt, and also Jasson Dominguez, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells.
And it is emphasizing that the Yankees are receiving more homegrown help than arguably at any point in at least a decade and perhaps since the heyday of what will never be repeated again — the Core Four plus Bernie Williams.
Six of the Yankees’ top seven players (all but Soto) in Baseball Reference Wins Above Replacement have strong ties to their farm system (Aaron Judge, Gil, Wells, Volpe, Schmidt and Cortes).
Starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt delivers a pitch during the Yankees’ win over the Cubs last week.
Judge might win a second AL MVP. Gil and Wells are in play for AL Rookie of the Year. Gil was initially signed out of the Dominican by the Twins, but was traded (for Jake Cave) before his 20th birthday and rose from Rookie Ball through the Yankees system. Wells was a first-round pick in 2020 and has had the kind of offensive rise that the Yankees were hoping for from their 2019 first-round pick, Volpe.
But Volpe, even with the uneven offense, has been better than a 3.0 WAR player this season, and the organization continues to believe the offense will come from a skill/makeup package over the long haul. Schmidt, despite missing more than three months with a lat injury, has pitched toward the top of a rotation in 10 starts this season.
It means in Schmidt, Volpe and Wells, the Yankees have three first-round picks producing — a drastic positive turn for an organization that from 2010-15 had six first-round picks never play a day in the majors, but also took Judge in that period.
Anthony Volpe celebrates after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Austin Wells during the 10th inning of the Yankees’ win over the Royals on Sept. 11, 2024..
Austin Wells reacts after hitting a three run home in the Yankees’ win over the
Royals on Sept. 9, 2024.
And it could be lost to time, but Cortes, who started against Boston on Thursday night, was a Yankees’ 36th-round pick in 2013 before exiting the organization twice and finding his way back.
The Yankees have always been good at getting internal players to the majors — which often means giving Brian Cashman ammunition to trade for a Jazz Chisholm Jr. or Soto. This season, for example (through Wednesday), 59 players who signed their first pro contract with the Yankees had played in the majors — including 2021 first-round pick Trey Sweeney, who has been Detroit’s shortstop down the stretch. Only the Astros (67), Dodgers (62) and Twins (60) had more.
It is generally not appreciated how little impact there is in the domestic draft, especially after the first 10 picks, when it comes to position players. The Yanks have not had a top-10 pick since Derek Jeter (sixth) in 1992. They have picked in the top 20 just five times since as their constant playoff appearances have led to late drafting.
So consider that of the top 50 players in WAR in the 2000s, 10 were international signings, and of those Robinson Cano was one by the Yankees. Another 18 were drafted before the Yankees had a selection — think players such as Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Mike Trout. Of the remaining 22 players, the Yanks actually took an MLB-high three: Jeter, Judge and Brett Gardner. But, in general, the Yanks have not gotten a lot of help internally, and some from whom they did — such as Miguel Andujar, Greg Bird and Gary Sanchez — fizzled quickly.
What will the staying power be for Gil, Schmidt, Volpe, Wells and a few others in September, October and the near future?
