Pitching prospect Luis Gil is catching eyes amid pitching concerns for the New York Yankees. With ace Gerritt Cole out for the first few months of the 2024 MLB season, the Yankees are looking a little light in the pitching department. For a team that came into the offseason looking for extra arms, this injury couldn't come at a worse time, with their opening day game set for March 28.
Enter, Luis Gil, who has looked impressive when called upon in spring training. With a spring training ERA of 2.31 to go with 18 strikeouts and a 0.77 WHIP, Gil is seen by some fans as the savior NY is looking for.
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While that remains to be seen, with Gil looking to compete as a rotation option, fans took to X to share their thoughts. Some were hyperbolic, thinking he should be named the opening day starter:
Others, arguably more realistic, were impressed by Gil's form and felt he deserved a spot in the Yankees' rotation:
Many were just pleased with his form and impressed with his progression.
Luis Gil looks impressive but Nestor Cortes is expected to start for Yankees on Opening Day
With no Gerrit Cole and free agent Blake Snell drawing interest from the Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants, Yankees fans might be concerned about opening day.
YES Network's Meredith Marakovits took to X to report that the team will start Nestor Cortes on opening day against the Astros:
"Nestor Cortes will start opening day in Houston #yankees"
This is a real opportunity for Cortes, who has faced his fair share of challenges in the MLB. He spoke to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, and was both surprised and thankful for the opportunity:
“I’ve kind of always been the up-and-down guy earlier in my career, at best a fifth started. I was able to get the All-Star [appearance] under my belt, but this [Opening Day assignment] was far-fetched for me. I’m just happy that Aaron Boone and the organization have the trust in me to go out there for the first game.”
With the Yankees set to embark on a 2024 season where they harbor World Series ambitions, it will be interesting to see if Nestor Cortes can hold the fort until Gerrit Cole returns. If Luis Gil can continue to impress when called upon, well, stranger things have happened.
