Following Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange, the Yankees will go with Luis Gil on Sunday to pitch against the Mets as the right-hander will make his first start of the Grapefruit League.
The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year winner is looking to re-establish himself after a 2025 season where his results were strong but the way he pitched suggested he was more fortunate than productive.
He dealt with a lat strain that held him out until the second half of that season, first pitching in Miami after the trade deadline and not looking as sharp as the organization hoped for.
Looking to rebound and put together an excellent campaign in 2026, this first start will be an important litmus test for where his velocity and feel is at in Februrary.
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Luis Gil Set to Pitch Tomorrow In Yankees-Mets Matchup
The 2025 season was not what Luis Gil was hoping for, making just 11 starts for the Yankees and dealing with a lat injury that sidelined him for the majority of the year.
Gil’s 3.32 ERA would indicate he pitched well when he returned, but a 10% decrease in his strikeouyt rate and a 4.63 FIP would indicate that he benefitted from unsustainably good luck.
He’s aware of it too; the right-hander has been working all offseason to have a healthy 2026 season and return to being the frontline starter that he pitched like for most of 2024.
A decline in fastball velocity was a real issue for Gil last season who struggled to miss bats with that pitch when in previous years it had been one of his most reliable pitches.
He’s been reported at around 94-96 MPH in his initial live bullpen sessions, a good sign for where pitchers are at this time of year, but his in-game velocity will be another data point to evaluate as he builds up for 2026.
The Yankees will need Luis Gil to step up while Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are down, and he needs to perform well to avoid a demotion to the bullpen.
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