A rare showdown between the AL and NL Rookie of the Year favorites didn’t quite live up to the hype on Saturday in the Bronx.
Jul 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil (81) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
New York Yankees star rookie Luis Gil stumbled through his final start of the regular season, allowing a season-high four home runs in the loss. The young Yankees' hurler made it through 5.2 innings, allowing six hits and six earned runs while striking out five and walking one. The outing lifted Gil’s season ERA from 3.27 to a still respectable 3.50.
Gil will close out his first full season with the Yankees with a 15-7 record and 171 strikeouts across 151.2 innings and 29 games started, which are all career-highs. The six earned runs he allowed against the Pirates was the most in a game since June 20th when he allowed seven against the Baltimore Orioles.
Despite the shaky close to the regular season, Gil remains the frontrunner for the AL Rookie of the Year Award. With just one game left before the playoffs start on Tuesday, Gil is the favorite, ahead of Baltimore’s Colton Cowser, Oakland’s Mason Miller, Boston's Wilyer Abreu and teammate Austin Wells.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Gil acknowledged his struggles.
“The long ball today hurt me. And it happens, you have good starts you have bad starts," Gil said.
“Sometimes you have a clear plan of attack and you’re attacking hitters exactly where you want, but they can also execute in those locations so credit to them there," he added.
On the other side of the diamond, Pirates phenom Paul Skenes is the heavy favorite to take home the NL Rookie of the Year Award ahead of the Padres’ Jackson Merrill. Skenes pitched just two innings on Saturday recording three strikeouts, including back-to-back punch outs against Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in the first inning.
Skenes ends his rookie season with a dominant 11-3 record, an ERA of 1.96 and a WHIP of 0.95. The flamethrower fanned 170 batters in just 133 innings.
As for Gil, the rookie has a strong chance at being in the Yankees’ playoff rotation. With the recent injury to Nestor Cortes, the Yankees will be looking to either Gil, Clarke Schmidt or Marcus Stroman to slot in after Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.
