Yankees youngster scores upset Rookie of the Year win over AL East rival

On Monday evening, two New York Yankees youngsters made it into the top three finishers in the American League Rookie of the Year race, no small feat in and of itself. The Yankees' youth movement has been both truncated and disappointing since the arrival of Aaron Judge. Luis Gil beginning 2024 by impersonating Gerrit Cole perfectly, followed by Austin Wells ascending to the cleanup spot at the exact moment the Yankees needed a surge, represented key puzzle pieces in New York's surprising American League championship season.

Of course, when push came to shove, neither player completed a full, dominant season in pinstripes. Their third finalist, Colton Cowser, powered the loaded-with-potential Orioles, heating up during the late summer after hitting his own personal stumbling blocks in May and June.

Cowser hit .268 with an .814 OPS after the All-Star break. Gil's brightest moments came before the weather warmed up, and Wells' September (post-HBP in the wrist) left something to be desired, to say the least; he hit .111 in September and October after posting a .941 OPS in July/.936 mark in August.

Add Wells' superb defense and cannon arm to his summer surge, and he put himself in the conversation. Discount Gil's early summer wall (which knocked him off the AL All-Star team), and he would've been the clear favorite. But Cowser's 123 OPS+ was not to be trifled with, and everyone knows MLB's voters love to snub the Yankees. Would either Yankee have enough to hold off the Orioles' surge?

Somehow, some way ... yes. Gil's ridiculous first two months, and 15-7 record at year's end was worthy of the hardware.

Do Yankees get an extra draft pick for Luis Gil defeating Colton Cowser, Austin Wells for Rookie of the Year?

No, unfortunately. Gil's five-point win over Cowser, the closest vote since 2003 (when Angel Berroa beat Hideki Matsui!), won't net the Yankees additional draft compensation. Gil didn't debut in 2024, and wasn't on a noteworthy preseason top-100 prospects list.

If Gil had followed his 0.70 ERA in six May starts with a serviceable June, he would've been a cinch; instead, he put up a 6.45 mark, and by October was relegated to being a "get all you can out of him, then pull him" No. 4 starter. In a slightly confusing AL class, that was enough to capture the honors; after all, his 15-7 record, 171 Ks in 151 1/3 frames, and 3.1 bWAR (matching Cowser) obscured his control issues.

If Wells had stayed off the interstate in September, he would've sprinted through the finish line after an "unlucky" spring where he couldn't crack .700 in the OPS department until June. An OPS+ above 103 and his sterling defense is likely the difference-maker here. Instead, he's stuck applauding for someone else's triumph — but, luckily, it's a teammate.

Gil and Wells have nothing to be ashamed of here, and their 2024 campaigns represented massive development wins. They also included a beautiful, and unexpected, bit of hardware.