It was a great rookie season for New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil in 2024.

After showing promise toward the end of the 2021 season, an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery forced the pitcher to miss most of the 2022 season and all of 2023. After his long-awaited return for the 2024 season, Gil was everything New York could have hoped for.

Gil went 15-7 in 29 starts and pitched to a 3.50 ERA with 171 strikeouts in 151.2 innings pitched. Gil’s best stretch in 2024 came from May to early June, going 6-0 with a 0.60 ERA in seven starts.

The 26-year-old’s strong 2024 season led to him being named a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year, along with teammate and catcher Austin Wells and Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser. The winner will be announced on Monday at 6 p.m. EST.

If Gil wins Rookie of the Year, he has the opportunity to make unique franchise history.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the last time the Yankees won AL Rookie of the Year as a pitcher was when Dave Righetti captured the award in 1981. Coincidentally, that season also saw the Bronx Bombers lose in the World Series to the Dodgers Los Angeles.

Righetti, who pitched for the Yankees from 1979-1990, started the 1981 season in the minor leagues. But he thrived after being called up in May, going 8-4 in 15 starts with a 2.06 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 105 innings, which was enough for him to be named Rookie of the Year in the AL.

Now Gil has the opportunity to accomplish the same feat that Righetti was able to achieve more than 40 years ago thanks to his outstanding 2024 campaign.

The last Yankee to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award was Aaron Judge in 2017.