Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Luis Gil of the New York Yankees have been named Baseball Digest’s 2024 Rookies of the Year, with both players impressing fans and experts alike with their standout performances this season. Interestingly, both winners are pitchers—a rare occurrence for this award, as it’s only the third time in over 50 years that pitchers have taken both titles.
Skenes, a hard-throwing right-hander, made waves in the National League by consistently shutting down opposing teams. In his debut season, he achieved a low ERA (a measure of how few runs he allows), making it hard for batters to get hits against him. Skenes even started in the All-Star Game, an unusual honor for a rookie, and threw plenty of pitches at blazing speeds of 100 mph or more, which few starting pitchers have done before.
Over in the American League, Gil took some time to get going, starting the year in the minors, but he quickly proved his worth to the Yankees. He became known for striking out batters and was able to hold his own in big games, helping his team stay competitive. Both players have quickly become fan favorites and are expected to be key players for their teams next season.
These awards show that both Skenes and Gil are already making their mark in the big leagues, bringing energy and skill that’s rare to see in rookie pitchers.
