Yankees' Deivi García, Luis Gil Start Spring on High Note

Both right-handers could conceivably pitch their way to a roster spot this spring.

TAMPA — Over the last few years, Deivi García's stock as a prospect has been free falling steeper than one of his curveballs, dipping toward the dirt as it approaches home plate.

The right-hander was once one of the most promising arms in the Yankees' farm system, making some noise as a rookie in 2020. Now, he's ranked as New York's No. 29 prospect (by MLB Pipeline) after struggling mightily in 2021. 

That doesn't mean García can't turn his career around, though. 

"He goes out and puts together good outings and has a good year, you can reestablish yourself, especially when you're a young man, in a hurry," manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

García took his first step in righting the ship later Wednesday night, twirling two sharp frames in his first appearance this spring, a 7-1 Grapefruit League victory over the Orioles. 

Dealing 27 pitches, García allowed just one base hit, striking out one. Of the 14 fastballs he threw, the 22-year-old topped out at 96.1 mph, averaging 94.9. That's almost three ticks higher on the gun than his average from last season (92.2).

After the game, Boone spoke about García for a second time, explaining that Wednesday night's performance was a confirmation of the progress he's seen from the hurler throughout the first few weeks of camp. 

Part of that stems from García's mechanics. The right-hander has been doing a better job of steering clear from the rotational delivery that got him into trouble last season.

"Last year we saw a lot of pull misses with the fastball where he's missing wide off the plate. Now he's more directional to the plate. And I think it'll make a big difference," Boone said.

With rosters expanding to 28 players for the first month of the regular season, there's a chance García can pitch his way into an Opening Day roster spot. The starting staff is full and New York has an arsenal of versatile arms ready to capitalize on an opportunity, but García would be able to provide length for a club seeking to eat up innings, capable of making a start if needed.

"Obviously we're gonna have at least probably an extra pitcher or two to start the season," Boone explained. "He can put himself in that mix."

García posted a 6.85 ERA over 24 appearances with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season, allowing 21 home runs and walking 68 batters in 90.2 innings pitched. Since his MLB debut in 2020, García has toed the rubber eight times during the regular season in a Yankees uniform, pitching to the tune of a 5.27 ERA over 42.2 frames. 

Another pitcher that could play a role early in the 2022 regular season is Luis Gil, who also made his Grapefruit League debut on Wednesday night. Similar to García, Gil spun two scoreless innings, punching out two batters in the process.

"I thought he was good too," Boone said. "For Luis, he made big strides last year and obviously came up and pitched in some big games and gave us a lift last year. It's about strike throwing because it's a big-time fastball."

Gil maxed out at 98 mph in his first outing of the spring, using his fastball on 23 of his 37 pitches. 

"It's a fastball that plays even more, it's got really good characteristics to it," Boone added. "If he's in the strike zone with that and then has enough of a secondary going, he's got a really big ceiling. It's about strike throwing and command and that's the final piece for him. But good to see him come in and I thought he pitched well."

Last season, Gil made history, producing the longest career-opening scoreless innings streak (18.2 innings) in Yankees franchise history. The right-hander finished the year with a 3.07 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched (six starts).

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