3 under-the-radar prospects that can help the Yankees in 2021

1. Luis Gil

Gil checks in as the No. 5 prospect for the Yankees this season, but MLB.com doesn’t expect him to make it to the majors until 2022. New York’s need for depth in their starting rotation gives Gil a chance to arrive earlier than expected.

The 22-year-old right-hander arguably possesses the most impressive fastball in the Yankees’ minor league system. Gil regularly lights the radar gun up by hurling his fastball to the plate in the high-90s. Upon occasion, Gil can even reach triple-digits when he’s at his best.

Not surprisingly, the challenge for Gil is to find a secondary pitch or two that can compliment his high-level fastball. His ability to improve his offspeed stuff will be the issue that determines his short-term fate with the Yankees.

If Gil can only find one offspeed pitch worthy of use in the majors then he still has a chance to help the Yankees as a high-leverage reliever. If he finds two or more breaking pitches of real quality, then he’ll comfortably profile in the team’s rotation moving forward.

The Yankees won’t rush Gil to the Bronx before he’s ready, but his path to the big leagues is crystal clear. That gives him a chance to make a big impact on Boone’s team coming out of Spring Training if things break right.