Young Yankees Grab the Spotlight

While the Yankees leaned on veterans such as Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton to reach the World Series for the first time in 15 years, two rookies were also a vital part of the story.  Luis Gil, who impressed in spring training and then went 15-7 with more than a strikeout an inning, wasn't just a contributor -- for the first two-and-a-half months of the season he filled the rotation spot while ace Gerrit Cole was on the injured list.  His impressive work earned him AL Rookie of the Year honors for 2024.  In becoming the 10th Yankee to win the award (the first since Aaron Judge), he posted dazzling numbers.  As posted by MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, Gil led AL pitchers (who pitched at least 150 inning) in opponents' batting average and was second in hits per nine innings (6.17).  He was fourth in the AL in strikeouts per nine innings (10.15), sixth in opponent slugging and 10th in opponent OPS (.643). He also paced all AL rookies in wins and tied for the rookie lead in strikeouts.  

Gil -- who spent most of the previous two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery -- wasn't the only Yankee youngster to have a major 2024 impact.  Austin Wells took over as the primary catcher and was not only a productive hitter -- with 13 home runs and 55 RBI -- but his defense and pitch framing helped the club to an AL-best 92 wins.

Despite the disappointing way 2024 ended, the season was not just a success for the Yankees -- but helped established two young players as important cogs in the club's future.

My images were taken this past season: Gil, from what many consider his breakthrough appearance on March 11th.  I snapped Wells during the Yankees' July 4th home game against the Reds. 




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