Three Biggest Winners and Losers From the New York Yankees First Half

Winner: Luis Gil

Heading into the 2024 season, it appeared likely that Luis Gil was going to start his season off in the minor leagues as he continued his recovery from Tommy John Surgery. The Yankees then lost Gerrit Cole to injury and Gil won out in the battle for the final spot in the rotation.

To start the season, Gil emerged as one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball and helped the Yankees in jumping out to one of the best starts in the MLB. Gil would then suffer his own cold stretch but bounced back finishing the first half with a 10-5 record, leading the team with a 3.17 ERA and 118 strikeouts.

Heading into the back half of the season, Gil has cemented his role in this Yankees rotation and could be competing against veteran arms for a role in the playoff rotation.

Loser: DJ LeMahieu

The Yankees planned on having DJ LeMahieu as their leadoff hitter entering the season however, a setback in his recovery from a foot injury caused him to miss the start of the year. While LeMahieu has been a versatile fielder, he's provided the Yankees with next to nothing offensively. On the season, LeMahieu is hitting just .188 without a home run and only 11 RBIs in 117 at-bats. At this point, the Yankees have to search for a replacement for LeMahieu. When he's at the plate, he's often making soft contact hitting into double plays.