Before camp officially opened, Aaron Boone watched Luis Gil face live hitters for the first time this spring at the Yankees’ player development complex. The manager recently said that he found the performance “a little underwhelming,” as Gil’s fastball sat in the low-90s.
But Boone wasn’t too worried about the right-hander’s velocity in early February. The skipper kept the same mindset even as Gil’s four-seamer averaged 94.6 mph in his first two spring starts.
“What I’ve liked is the progression,” Boone said. “A few weeks ago, he was kind of 90, 91, 92. It’s been slowly getting more consistent. I think a lot of it is feeling confident with the shape of his fastball which is also, in turn, a result of being really sound mechanically and with his delivery.”
Gil gave a similar answer when asked if he can get his velocity back to where it once was following his exhibition debut on Feb. 22.
“We keep getting better and climbing, and it has been consistent progress since the moment I got here,” the 27-year-old said, “so I do.”
That climb continued on Wednesday, as Gil topped out at 97.9 mph while throwing three scoreless innings against the Red Sox in Fort Myers. He hit at least 97 mph on four of his 56 pitches while totaling two hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
All six Luis Gil strikeouts from his spring start against the Red Sox! pic.twitter.com/Kv9rN4xkdb
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 4, 2026
While Gil didn’t unleash a staggering amount of heat — his four-seamer averaged 95.7 mph on the day — it was an improvement compared to his first two starts of the spring.
In 2024, an effectively wild Gil routinely wowed with his velocity, averaging 96.6 mph with his fastball while recording a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts over 29 starts and 151.2 innings. Even though he led the majors in walks, that was enough to secure the American League’s Rookie of the Year Award.
Gil, making his return from Tommy John surgery in 2024, was especially sharp over his first 14 starts that season, logging a 2.03 ERA. Boone referred to that period as “Cy Young-esque.”
“I hope so,” the skipper said when asked if Gil can get back to that form. “Certainly, that’s in there, because I’ve seen him dominate like the aces dominate. So he’s capable of that, without question. We want to keep working to get back to that.
“He’s capable of big things.”
Gil didn’t get much of a chance to build on his 2024 campaign, as a spring training lat injury pushed his 2025 season debut to August. He went on to average 95.3 mph as control remained an issue.
While Gil’s surface numbers weren’t bad – he had a 3.32 ERA over 11 starts before a poor outing in Game 1 of the ALDS — he never quite looked like the pitcher he was in 2024, and his underlying metrics dipped across the board.
Gil also admitted to taking some zip off his fastball at times in an effort to find the strike zone last season. Boone is hoping that won’t be necessary in 2026, as it’s not something the Yankees want Gil to do.
Gil would like to avoid that as well. He’s been focused on his delivery and command this spring, trusting that the velocity will continue to build over as the regular season nears.
If it does, he thinks he can get back to what he was two years ago.
“I feel like I’m on the right track,” Gil said. “I think the work we’ve done together has been very, very good and has put me in the right lane. I feel like I’m where I need to be right now. I don’t have any doubt in my mind that I can get back to that level where I was in 2024 and, god willing, I’ll be there.”
SCHLITTLER SET FOR SPRING DEBUT
Cam Schlittler is scheduled to pitch Friday’s night game against the Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Boone told reporters in Fort Myers on Wednesday, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. It will be Schlittler’s first game of the exhibition season after a back/lat issue interrupted his camp.
The aches never shut Schlittler down from throwing, but he didn’t resume facing live hitters until Feb. 26. Boone said then that, if all goes according to plan, Schlittler should be ready for the start of the season. However, Boone doesn’t expect the 25-year-old to be fully built up by the time he makes his first regular season start.
BELLI’S BACK
Speaking of back issues, Cody Bellinger is expected back in the Yankees’ lineup on Thursday against the Twins, per Newsday’s Erik Boland. Bellinger had been dealing with some soreness in his back the past few days but was fine after taking batting practice on Wednesday.
LOMBARD VS. CROCHET
George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ top prospect, had a rather impressive afternoon against Garrett Crochet on Wednesday, totaling two hits off the Red Sox ace. The first was a 104.2-mph, 392-foot homer to lead off the game, while the second was a 108.5-mph single.
Lombard had already impressed defensively this spring — Brian Cashman has said his glove is big league ready — as he’s made highlight reel plays at short, second and third. His bat still needs some minor league seasoning, as the 20-year-old, young for the level, had a .695 OPS at Double-A last season.
