Austin Wells gives one-word reaction to New York Yankees' Luis Gil winning 2024 AL Rookie of the Year
Austin Wells and Luis Gil were both up for the Rookie of the Year award in 2024. The battery pair were both named finalists alongside Colton Cowser, and it wasn't clear who was going to win. Gil was the favorite, but Cowser was impossible to ignore. Wells also had a good case for the award.
Ultimately, Gil got two more first-place votes than Cowser, earning him the award. Despite finishing third in the voting, Wells took to Instagram to congratulate his teammate with one word: "Beast!!!"
Gil received 15 first-place votes to Cowser's 13. Wells did not receive any first-place votes and barely finished ahead of Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller. Miller received 16 points, while Wells had 17.
The New York Yankees pitcher earned 106 points and Cowser had 101. Gil went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP with 171 strikeouts in 2024.
Aaron Boone commends Luis Gil on rookie season
Luis Gil was crowned the best rookie in the American League on Monday night, ousting Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser and teammate Austin Wells in the process. In Spring Training, he wasn't even considered for the MLB roster.
However, Gerrit Cole went down and Gil dominated en route to earning a rotation spot. He never looked back. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said via the New York Post:
“He absolutely kicked in the door this spring and went on to have a phenomenal rookie season," Boone said on Monday. "Luis continued to mature and develop all year and was one of the pillars of our rotation. I can’t wait to see what’s next for such a talented, young pitcher.”
Gil cemented his spot in the rotation for a season and will likely keep it despite an influx of healthy arms next year and potential free agents. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball this past season and earned some hardware for his performances.