The American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award is returning to the Bronx.
On Monday evening, MLB Network announced that New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil was named the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year. His teammate, catcher Austin Wells, finished third in the voting, while Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser placed second; in one of the closest races in the history of the award, Gil edged out Cowser by just five voting points (106 to 101) and two first-place votes (15 to 13).
Gil, 26, stepped up for the Yankees after an early-season injury to ace Gerrit Cole, posting a 15-7 record with a 3.50 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 29 starts. In 17 of those outings, Gil allowed one earned run or none, tying him with 2024 Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and offseason trade candidate Garrett Crochet for the most such starts in the majors.
Over 151.2 innings, the hard-throwing right-hander held opponents to a .189/.297/.345 slash line. Armed with an upper-90s fastball, a wipeout slider, and an effective changeup, Gil posted a 10.1 K/9 rate, the fourth-highest in the AL. However, he struggled with command, as he led the league with 77 walks.
Gil led the AL in opponent batting average and ranked second in hits allowed per nine innings (6.17). He also finished sixth in opponent slugging and 10th in opponent OPS (.643). Among AL rookies, he led in wins (15) and tied for the rookie lead in strikeouts (171).
A native of the Dominican Republic, Gil began his professional career in 2015, signing as an international free agent with the Minnesota Twins. He was traded to the Yankees in March 2018 in exchange for outfielder Jake Cave and began his ascension from rookie ball. Three years later, Gil made his MLB debut with the Yankees.
He pitched 29.1 innings for New York in 2021 and just four innings in 2022 before an elbow injury in May required Tommy John surgery, cutting his season short. After a year spent recovering, Gil returned in September 2023 for two High-A rehab starts but did not make any major league appearances.
His limited big-league action in 2021, 2022, and 2023 allowed Gil to retain rookie eligibility for 2024 despite debuting three years earlier.
Postseason performance is not considered in Rookie of the Year voting, but it is worth mentioning that Gil made two starts in October, pitching four innings in each. Facing a 3-0 World Series deficit, Gil took the mound against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4, surrendering four runs in an 11-4 Yankees victory—their only win of the Fall Classic.
Gil is the first Yankee to win Rookie of the Year since Aaron Judge in 2017 and the first Yankees pitcher to claim the award since Dave Righetti in 1981.
