Always one to be prepared, Jose Trevino began studying Luis Gil in December.
The catcher knew that the 26-year-old, returning from Tommy John surgery, would be in Yankees camp, so Trevino wanted to be ready for a pitcher he had not caught before. In order to do, he watched video from Gil’s impressive debut season in 2021, as well as his work from 2022.
It didn’t take long for Trevino to realize what the rest of the baseball world has learned in the months since: Gil has an electric right arm.
That same arm could be the first one the National League All-Stars face in Arlington on July 17, as Gil has a legitimate case to start the Midsummer Classic.
“That’d be pretty neat to see,” Trevino told the Daily News, adding that he always feels pride when his pitchers make an All-Star team. “Up to date, yeah, he’s earned it for sure. We still got some time. There’s still things that we need to work on and handle here.”
Added Gil: “It would be great. It’ll be a blessing to start the game, but I’m too focused on what I have to do here.”
While there’s still a little more than a month to go, Gil is taking an American League-leading 1.82 ERA into his Sunday Night Baseball debut against the Dodgers. Armed with a high-90s fastball, a slider and a changeup, he’s struck out 85 batters over 69.1 innings.
Gil’s 3.894 H/9 is easily the best in baseball. He’s held opponents to three hits or less in 10 of his 12 starts.
“He’s been unreal to watch all year,” Giancarlo Stanton said, which is why a national audience may get a chance to see Gil in the All-Star Game.
While Gil has a legit chance to start the exhibition, so does Boston’s Tanner Houck (1.91 ERA), Detroit’s Tarik Skubal (1.97) and Kansas City’s Seth Lugo (2.13). All have thrown more innings than Gil.
“There’s a host of names that deserve to start,” pitching coach Matt Blake told The News. “Obviously, [Gil’s] put up a body of work so far that should be in the conversation.”
At the very least, Gil is in line for a selection.
However, the Yankees are expected to keep an eye on his workload post-surgery. While he’s not on an innings limit — there are better ways to monitor pitchers nowadays — Gil has tallied just 99 frames since 2022.
“We’re not putting any kind of a limit on him, but there may be a natural one that happens,” Boone said. “But I don’t necessarily think that’s our expectation.”
With all that in mind, would the Yankees be comfortable with Gil throwing extra pitches in the All-Star Game?
“That’s a good question,” Blake said. “It’s one that we haven’t really talked about yet. But obviously, every time he throws well, it gets more real. So it’s a conversation we’ll probably have to have at some point. If that’s a problem we have to discuss, that’s a good one to have. But at the same time, real. Do you want him, depending on where his schedule falls, to take on the extra work?”
Asked the same question, Aaron Boone said, “That’s a ways away.”
The Yankees haven’t had a rookie All-Star since Gleyber Torres achieved the feat in 2018, so getting the nod would be a big deal for Gil.
However, he won’t get upset if the Yankees advise against pitching in the game.
“I wouldn’t be disappointed, but if I’m able to participate, then I’ll be excited,” Gil said, adding that he’s fixated on the here and now. “So either way, it’s not gonna effect me.”
Whether Gil pitches in the All-Star Game or not, this has already been a storybook season for him.
Tommy John essentially robbed him of the last two seasons, and the Yankees optioned him to Triple-A early in spring training. At that point, his chances of making the Opening Day rotation seemed slim, yet he pitched his tail off in camp and hijacked the fifth spot in the rotation after elbow inflammation sidelined Gerrit Cole.
Now Gil is doing his best impression of the reigning American League Cy Young winner.
“To a lot of people, it came out of nowhere,” Trevino said, but everyone is now seeing what the catcher caught a glimpse of over the winter.
“I’m really impressed,” the backstop continued. “He was prepared and he’s gotten an opportunity, and this is what it is for him. It’s been great.”
