One way or another, the New York Yankees will need to bolster their starting pitching rotation for the 2022 season. Once the lockout eventually ends, the regular season will get going almost immediately, giving the Yankees a minimal amount of time to find supplements and boost the group.
The Bombers already lost Corey Kluber to the Tampa Bay Rays before the lockout began, meaning they will have to find a replacement for the No. 2 spot. However, the entire rotation is a bit of a question mark at this moment, with several players returning from injury and seemingly unreliable.
Current Yankees starting rotation:
1.) Gerrit Cole
2.) Luis Severino
3.) Jordan Montgomery
4.) Jameson Taillon
5.) Domingo German
Immediate relief:
6.) Luis Gil
7.) Nestor Cortes Jr.
The Yankees will have to put a ton of faith in Severino and Taillon, who both struggled last season due to injury or inconsistencies. Domingo German is also a liability, having sustained injuries last year as well.
Among the team’s immediate supplements for the starting rotation, 23-year-old pitcher Luis Gil has the stuff to feature at the top level.
Gil is an incredibly talented player, having made his first Major League appearance last year. He pitched in six total games, recording a 3.07 ERA, 84.3% left on base rate, and 11.66 strikeouts per nine. Taking a look at his pitches, Gil focuses predominantly on his fastball usage, throwing it 53.4% of the time at 96.1 mph. He also heavily leaned on his slider at 39.3% and tossed in his change up every now and then at 7.3%.
Gil is one of the Yankees’ top young players, and considering he can throw triple digits, management likely views him as an influential piece moving forward. He will be deadly if he can gain a bit more command over his pitches.
The likelihood of Gil starting the season in the starting rotation is slim, but starting the season in Triple-A with Scranton makes the most sense. Over 48.2 innings with Scranton last season, he recorded a 4.81 ERA and 12.39 strikeouts per nine. At times, he struggled a bit but performed far better in the Majors as a bled confidence.
The 6’2″, 185-pound pitcher has a tantalizing rising fastball that will become one of his staples down the road but needs better placement in conjunction with his velocity. Given the Yankees’ injuries over the years, there’s no question he will be called upon at some point, but it’s a matter if he can remain consistent throughout the campaign.