Monday’s series opener between the Yankees and Diamondbacks will feature a duel of young right-handers looking to make impressions on teams with high expectations for 2024.
New York will go with Luis Gil after executing an assertive series victory over Houston.
Gil steps into the rotation with limited major league experience over the past few years, but he earned the spot with an excellent showcase in the Grapefruit League (2.87 ERA, 23 K, 15.2 IP).
Yankees vs. Diamondbacks prediction
(9:40 p.m. ET, YES)
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He’s returning after recovering from Tommy John surgery, before which he only had made seven big-league starts.
Gil tore it up in his Class-A rehab assignment last year, recording a strikeout rate of 28.6 percent.
Ryne Nelson returns to the back of Arizona’s rotation after delivering a strong spring outing. He spent 2023 finding his footing as a regular starter, posting an 8-8 record with a 5.27 ERA.
Diamondbacks starting pitcher Ryne Nelson. Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK The 26-year-old righty will reset his focus after gaining valuable experience out of the bullpen in the postseason, making three appearances in Arizona’s run to the World Series.
He relies heavily on his four-seam fastball, which offered opposing hitters some beefy batted-ball numbers in 2023 and bodes well for Yankees power hitters.
Nelson landed in the bottom eight percentile in xSLG, exit velocity, and strikeout percentage in 2023.
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Even if Gil should tailspin early, the Yankees’ bullpen can manage a D’backs lineup that was toward the bottom of the field in quality of contact. After all, it led the majors with a 3.34 bullpen ERA last season.
THE PLAY: Yankees -1 (+102, BetRivers Sportsbook)
Sean Treppedi handicaps baseball for Action Network.
