Pirates ace Paul Skenes, Yankees pitcher Luis Gil win Rookie of the Year awards

Hard-throwing Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes capped a remarkable season by winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award on Monday, while Luis Gil of the New York Yankees edged Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser to take the AL honor.

Skenes won the award over San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio.

He received 23 first-place votes for 136 points while Merrill had seven firsts and 104 points. They were named on all ballots. Chourio had 26 points.

Gil played a key role in helping the Yankees win the American League East before reaching the World Series. He moved into the Yankees’ rotation after ace Gerrit Cole was injured early in the season and received 15 first-place votes for 106 points. Cowser got 13 firsts for 101 points and Gil’s Yankees teammate Austin Wells received 17 points.

The only closer election since 1980 was when Royals shortstop Angel Berroa beat Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui 88-84 in 2003.

It’s the first time the rookie awards went to two pitchers since 2011, when Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson and Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel won.

After being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes quickly lived up to the hype. The 22-year-old was called up to the majors in May and was an immediate sensation. He had a 12-start span between May and July when he posted a 1.64 ERA to go with a 6-1 record, throwing seven innings of no-hit ball in one start.

Skenes’ dominance on the mound made him one of the top stories in sports over the summer. It also helped him earn an All-Star nod and be tabbed as the starting pitcher for the National League team in the 2024 All-Star Game. He became just the fifth rookie pitcher to ever start an All-Star Game.

Paul Skenes: ‘MLB on FOX’ crew discusses significance of all-star game start | MLB on FOX

Skenes ended the season with an 11-3 record, posting a 1.96 ERA, a 0.947 WHIP and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings over 23 starts. His memorable rookie season has also made him one of the three finalists for the NL Cy Young Award, which will be announced on Wednesday.

This marks just the second time that a Pirates player has won National League Rookie of the Year. Jason Bay was the first Pirates player to win the award in 2004. Skenes is the 24th pitcher to win the award.

As New York dealt with Cole’s absence through the opening months of the season, Gil was able to bring some stability to its rotation. He wound up going 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA, a 1.193 WHIP and 171 strikeouts in 151.2 innings pitched over 29 starts. He made two starts in the postseason, but he only lasted four innings in each outing as he didn’t get a decision in either start.

The 2024 season wasn’t Gil’s first taste in the majors. The 26-year-old actually made his MLB debut in August 2021 and split time between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Yankees to open the 2022 season before injuring his elbow. He needed Tommy John surgery as a result, sidelining him until the final month of the 2023 season and keeping him eligible to win Rookie of the Year in 2024.

Gil is the 10th Yankees player to ever win the Rookie of the Year and the first Yankees pitcher to win the award since Dave Righetti in 1981. Prior to Gil, Aaron Judge was the last Yankees player to win the award, doing so in 2017. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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