The New York Yankees eliminated the Boston Red Sox in the ALWCS, setting up a date with the Toronto Blue Jays in the Division Series. And Luis Gil will get the start in Game 1 against Toronto. After leaving Gil off the Wild Card roster, the Yankees are relying on the reigning AL Rookie of the Year in the all-important series opener.
Gil worked his way back from an injury that delayed his season debut until August. Now the second-year starter will take the mound in Game 1 of the ALDS. “It means a lot. It’s an important game in this series,” Gil said of the assignment, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “We’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Luis Gil gets Game 1 nod for Yankees-Blue Jays clash
The Yankees' rotation suffered a devastating one-two punch during spring training. The team lost ace Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery and Gil would open the season on the IL with a high-grade lat strain.
Gil was sidelined by the injury for the first 111 games of the season. But he made his long-awaited return to the rotation on August 3. The 27-year-old righty went 4-1 in 11 starts for the Yankees. He posted a 3.32 ERA, 1.404 WHIP, 123 ERA+ and 1.0 bWAR in 57 innings.
While Gil improved down the stretch, the 3.32 ERA belies the pitcher’s struggles. After leading the majors with 77 walks last season, Gil’s BB/9 rate jumped from 4.6 in 2024 to 5.2 this season. And his 4.63 FIP likely paints a more accurate picture of his performance in 2025.
Nonetheless, the Yankees chose Gil over Will Warren for Game 1 against the Blue Jays. “I just feel like [Gil is] ready for this,” manager Aaron Boone said, per MLB.com. “He's in line for it. We decided for now we want to keep Warren an option in the pen, and we feel like Luis is ready to go.”
Gil last pitched in the regular season finale and will take the mound Saturday on five days rest. He’ll get an opportunity to start in the Division Series after the Yankees’ unprecedented win over the Red Sox in the Wild Card round.
Cam Schlittler delivered a heroic performance against Boston in Thursday’s winner-take-all Game 3. The rookie starter racked up 12 strikeouts in eight scoreless innings, leading New York to a 4-0 series-clinching victory.
