Luis Gil's spring training start vs. Phillies just made the wrong kind of history

On Tuesday afternoon in Clearwater, New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil continued to show off the fastball velocity progression we'd been so thrilled to see in his previous start against the Red Sox, peaking near 97 after building up from 94. He kept his spring ERA low, allowing a single earned run in 3 1/3 frames, maintaining a 2.38 mark overall. And yet, despite a placid surface, Gil's hittability remains concerning.

Not only did he fail to replicate the whiff-gathering that defined the end of his Red Sox outing, but he did so in a manner that was so spectacular that it broke analytical models.

Gil's four-seam fastball registered as a plus offering, and he leaned on it 50% of the time — but somehow failed to receive even a single whiff on the pitch. That's not something you see every day from a fastball with metrics this strong.

It's not something you see ever.

Yankees' Luis Gil acknowledges 2026 challenge after losing steam in Rookie of the Year season

After the start was completed, Gil spoke with The Athletic's Brendan Kuty about getting back on track and harnessing his fastball. The expectation this year is that he'll be around a lot longer (and stable for most of it) after his "tale of two halves" in 2024 and his injury-marred campaign last season were both spent rehabilitating (he lost 2023 entirely to Tommy John, and ran out of steam).

"The other thing that’s important to note is that in ’24 I was coming back from an injury," Gil said, via an interpreter. "I didn’t pitch much in ’23. So, very well rested. Very anxious to get back on the field. So, it’s hard to match that, especially having the seasons that I’ve had the last couple seasons. But that being said, I think we’re trending in the right way, and I feel like we’re getting close."

Once upon a time during his dominant April-through-June run in 2024, Gil's fastball perfectly matched his slider. He lived up in the zone, able to plow through his opponents like Cam Schlittler, using the heavy breaker to induce confusion. These days, the command of the fastball has all but disappeared, and its best-case scenario is being fouled off several times before a slider does the job.

In order for Gil not to fall off the healthy rotation bubble as his progression continues, that's got to change. And if his goals are loftier, and he wants a career-best season, then he must tick the command up even higher. As of now, he feels more like the rotation's Spencer Jones: all the talent in the world, but a flaw that might prove impossible to overcome.