Luis Gil will start Game 1 of the American League Division Series for the New York Yankees against the Toronto Blue Jays, manager Aaron Boone announced on Friday. Gil will face off against veteran pitcher Kevin Gausman in Saturday’s opener. Max Fried is set to take the mound for Game 2 on Sunday.
Boone indicated that Carlos Rodón and Cam Schlittler are likely to start Games 3 and 4, respectively. The decision follows Schlittler’s recent standout performance against the Boston Red Sox, where he recorded 12 strikeouts. Boone described it as a moment that “will be talked about when a lot of us are gone.”
Gil expressed admiration for his teammate’s achievement: “Man, that was impressive to see,” Gil said through interpreter Marlon Abreu. “He’s such a young talent. I think what he was able to do last night, it just motivated everybody to keep on going further and keep on battling.”
The Yankees considered starting rookie Will Warren but opted to keep him available in relief after his bullpen role during the Red Sox series. “I just feel like [Gil is] ready for this,” Boone said. “He’s in line for it. We decided for now we want to keep [Will] Warren an option in the ‘pen, and we feel like Luis is ready to go.”
Gil had a strong previous season with a 15-7 record and a 3.50 ERA over 29 starts, earning him American League Rookie of the Year honors by narrowly surpassing Colton Cowser of the Orioles.
This season has been more challenging due to injury; Gil missed four months with a lat strain but returned August 3rd and went 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA in his next eleven starts, including a win over Toronto on September 6th.
“It’s tough whenever you go through an injury,” Gil said. “You never want to get injured, and they’re very unexpected when they happen. I feel very good right now where I’m at today. The important thing is that we’re here today, and we have a really good chance, playing in the postseason. I’ll give it everything I have.”
The team posted an 8-3 record when Gil started since his return from injury, though both command and velocity have fluctuated compared with last year; his fastball velocity has dropped from an average of 96.6 mph last season to 95.3 mph this year.
“It hasn’t always been pretty necessarily, but we know what he’s capable of,” Boone said. “The bottom line is, he’s gotten results since he’s come back. He’s not afraid out there. His delivery and strike-throwing is important for him, and when he’s doing that, he’s very capable.”
Gil noted some adjustments: he sometimes reduced velocity in favor of improved command—a change he called “a matter of experience and growing as a pitcher.” He added: “I finally feel that I’m 100 percent,” Gil said. “Right now, you just have to go and battle.”
