Pirates ace Paul Skenes wins NL Rookie of the Year, Yankees’ Luis Gil wins AL

Paul Skenes and Luis Gil capped off their legendary rookie seasons with one of the game’s top honors.

Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace, has been named the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, winning 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 New York Yankees win the American League East before reaching the World Series.

The right-handed pitcher was named American League Rookie of the Year, winning the award over Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser and teammate Austin Wells.

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.

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.

Merrill, 21, came on strong during the second half, igniting a debate whether an everyday player deserved the award more than a starting pitcher.

Merrill was converted from shortstop to center field during spring training, when the Padres had only two outfielders on their roster.

Merrill was picked for the All-Star team and helped the Padres reach the playoffs, where they swept Atlanta in the Wild Card Series and then lost in the Division Series to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chourio was a 20-20 player at age 20.

As New York dealt with Gerrit Cole’s absence through the opening months of the season, Gil was able to bring some stability to its rotation to open the year. 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. He only pitched with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year, 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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