The Yankees' hopes for 2026 are riding on an infrequently mentioned star.
Yankees right-hander Luis Gil blew by his career-high pitching 161. innings in 2024 - 151.2 innings in the regular season, eight in the playoffs plus 3.2 for Double-A Somerset.was looking at that wide open space called the rest of his career.
The view was nothing short of breathtaking.At least that was the case in 2024. Today, he’d give anything to recapture that momentum. Injuries and mechanical flaws have slowed Gil’s career progress to the point where the Yankees can’t even guarantee his place in the rotation later this summer., who’ll have to decide which one of this starter will have to ship out to the bullpen, or even the minors, For now, Boone is too smart to speculate about a call he might never have to make. Injuries, not managers, are often the game’s great deciders. But that doesn’t mean the Yankees aren’t paying close attention to Gil on his long road to recovery. The right-hander threw crisply over 2.2 innings against the Mets on Sunday, striking out four without issuing a walk. The fastball topped out at 97-mph, with a 94.5 average. Except for Jared Young’s solo home run, Gil finished the day without so much as a scratch. That’s progress for a pitcher who missed four months of the 2025 season with a lat injury. Even after he returned, Gil was plagued with bouts of wildness and diminished velocity. No wonder the Yankees are drilling down on every one of Gil’s innings, even his pitch by pitch sequences.“This was another big step,” Boone said. “I’m hoping he gets to that point, I don’t need to see that right now, in February. What I’ve liked is the progression. “A few weeks ago, that 90, 91, 92-mph is slowly getting more consistent. I think a lot of it is being more confident with the shape of his fastball, a result of being sound mechanically.” Gil is obviously hoping to impress Boone, although he’s not obsessing over the possibility of losing his spot in the rotation. When he says, “I don’t make decisions like that” it allows for laser focus on what young pitchers are best equipped to handle. And that is, staying healthy, fine-tuning one of the loosest, most fluid deliveries in camp and not worrying about what went wrong last season.Cole ended up needing Tommy John surgery, as did Schmidt. The Yankees ended up with Marcus Stroman, Carlos Corrasco and a not quite ready for prime time Will Warren in the rotation. Even though the Bombers tied the Blue Jays for the American League’s most victories , the collapse in October felt pre-destined all the way back to April. But that was then. These days the Yankees are talking about a rotation that, once fully restored, will rank among the best in a generation. Prophecy? Or just hype for the airwaves? We’ll see. But imagine if Cole is anywhere close to his ’24 Cy Young form. And Cam Schlittler can be as successful over 30 starts as he was in 14 last year. And Rodon’s surgically repaired elbow yields greater velocity. And think of the old Gil re-emerging, inducing hitters into late, bad swings again – just because his four-seam fastball is so full of black magic.. That’s what the Yankees are waiting for. Gil is hoping for the same kindness from the fates. Both he and Boone are crossing their fingers tightly.The rotation’s game of musical chairs is nothing compared to the one-on-one that’ll be underway at shortstop at some point before May. We’re talking about Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero engaged in a steel cage match as soon as both parties are ready. Volpe is slowly but steadily accelerating his rehab from off-season shoulder surgery. Caballero, meanwhile, is taking advantage of the daily exposure. He hit a home run in Sunday’s 6-4 loss to the Mets, adding another line item in a resume that emphasizes speed and energy. “I can hit the ball hard,” Caballero said, adding he could finish in “double digits” given a chance to play every day.It won’t be an easy or quick selection. The Yankees will likely allow the competition to play out. Given the investment in Volpe, Boone and his coaches are bound to create space for the former No. 1 draft pick to again win the job outright. But that’s not to say Caballero will automatically be sent to the bench. If Volpe has a head-start, it won’t be by much. Caballero could conceivably box out Volpe if the Jersey kid’s struggles from 2025 roll over into this season. In the meantime, Caballero is showing off his familiarity up the middle with Jazz Chisholm. The two were Diamondbacks farmhands earlier in their careers and were paired in the starting lineup twice over the weekend.“I control what I can control,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and do my best every day. They make the decision.”Bob Klapisch has previously written for the New York Post, New York Daily News, New York Times, Bergen Record and ESPN. He joined NJ Advance Media in 2020 and has been a voting member of the Hall of Fame since...
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