A young pitcher shows early promise, but then ends up under the knife with a long rehab. When he finally returns, he leads his team to the World Series and won the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year award.
The latest version of this story is none other than Luis Gil of the New York Yankees. But who is Luis Gil? What are his 1st Bowman, Rookie, and other early career cards that are worth chasing? And are Gil’s cards worth investing in?
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Luis Gil, who shares a birthday with this author, is a pitcher for the New York Yankees who is the favorite for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Gil has had an interesting journey to this point, however, which is worth exploring.
Dominican Luis Gil was signed by the Minnesota Twins as an international free agent in 2015 at the tender age of 16. He was traded to the New York Yankees in early 2018 and pitched well in their minor league system.
Gil made his big league debut in August of 2021 and pitched well in 6 starts. He started 2022 back in the minor leagues and only got into one major league game before going down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
The recovery and rehab from that injury wiped out the rest of his 2022 season and all of his 2023 season except for 4 minor league innings.
Finally healthy in 2024, Gil made the most of his official rookie season as he pitched to a 15-7 record with a 3.50 ERA (117 ERA+). In 151.2 innings pitched he struck out 171 hitters and walked a league-leading 77. For the year, the now 26 year old Gil was worth a solid 3.1 WAR.
Gil helped pitch the Yankees to the AL East crown, and all the way to the World Series. When Gerrit Cole went down with an injury early in the season, I don’t know that many would have expected the Yankees to win their division, but Gil stepped up in a big way to give the Yankees an ace in Cole’s absence.
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Luis Gil has his 1st Bowman cards way back in 2019. The base 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Luis Gil #BCP-218 has only been graded by PSA a shockingly low four times. In raw condition, it can be found for less than $10, with some of the more plentiful parallels available for $10-20 raw.
The autographed version, the 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs Luis Gil #CPA-LGI has been graded by PSA 210 times, with 136 of those in PSA 10 slabs. In that grade, expect to pay $65-100.
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| Card | Total PSA Pop | Recent Comp Pop | Recent Comp Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Luis Gil #BCP-218 | 4 | PSA 10 = 1 | PSA 10 = NA |
| 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs Luis Gil #CPA-LGI | 210 | PSA 10 = 136 | PSA 10 = $65-100 |
Luis Gil’s rookie cards were released in 2022, the year he injured his elbow and required Tommy John surgery. Gil appeared on almost 1,600 in 2022, but the story is pretty consistent – shockingly low PSA populations and very few recent comps.
This suggests the market isn’t very high on Gil, but if you are, this provides an opportunity. The many parallels offer up a variety of options for even rarer versions that might still not break the bank.
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| Card | Total PSA Pop | Recent Comp Pop | Recent Comp Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Bowman Luis Gil #72 | 13 | PSA 10 = 5 | PSA 10 = NA |
| 2022 Bowman Chrome Luis Gil #78 | 10 | PSA 10 = 8 | PSA 10 = NA |
| 2022 Bowman Chrome Rookies Autographs Luis Gil #CRA-LG | 56 | PSA 10 = 23 | PSA 10 = NA |
Luis Gil has appeared on just over 2,000 cards to date, according to the Trading Card Database (TCDB.com), a staggering amount for a player just completing his full season. Being ultra-modern cards, there is a rainbow of parallels, print plates, and the like, plus plenty of on-demand Topps Now cards.
Gil’s 1st cardboard appearance are in 2018 Panini Elite Extra Edition. The base version is numbered out of 999 copies, and there are a variety of autograph and parallel offerings available. The total PSA population again is super low.
In 2023, Gil’s only cardboard appearances were on 2023 Topps Museum Collection Meaningful Materials Relics. If you like thick, premium brand relics, this is the card for you.
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The non-1st Bowman but not quite a rookie card 2020 Bowman Chrome Prospects card is another one that’s got a crazy low PSA population. Gil also appears in the 2024 Topps Update set, as he was not in the earlier Topps Series 1 & 2 offerings. Raw, the 2024 Topps Update cost can be had for only a couple of dollars.
From his times in the minor leagues, Gil also appeared in a number of minor league team-issued sets, including 2018 Choice Pulaski Yankees, 2019 Grandstand Charleston RiverDogs, 2021 Choice Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 2021 Choice Somerset Patriots, and 2022 Choice Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Minor league cards offer a somewhat limited-edition and fun alternative to major league and prospect cards.
| Card | Total PSA Pop | Recent Comp Pop | Recent Comp Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Panini Elite Extra Edition Luis Gil #175 SN /999 | 1 | PSA 9 = 1 | PSA 9 = NA |
| 2018 Panini Elite Extra Edition Autographs Luis Gil AU #175 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| 2020 Bowman Chrome Prospects Luis Gil #BCP-132 | 2 | PSA 10 = 2 | NA |
| 2024 Topps Update Luis Gil #US313 | NA | NA | Raw = $2 |
Now that we know more about who Luis Gil is and what some of his early career cards are, we need to ask “are Luis Gil cards a good investment?” Based on what we’ve seen on the mound, Gil’s talent is undeniable. That being said, we know The Perils Of Investing In Baseball Cards Of Pitchers.
Gil has already had Tommy John surgery and his first full season didn’t come until he was in his age 26 season. I must admit, that all gives me pause. That being said, as a New York Yankee he’ll certainly get a chance to pitch in the spotlight, and should have adequate run support for the foreseeable future.
I’m not a big proponent of investing in young pitchers, but if your risk tolerance is different than mine, or you’re just a Gil or Yankees fan or believe he’ll have a great career, the cards aren’t so expensive that buying should be cost prohibitive.
The hobby seems to share my opinion, which is keeping Gil’s card prices at very reasonable levels.
Shop for Luis Gil rookie cards on eBay
Luis Gil had to wait for his first full big league season, but then he made the best of it. Despite his career just starting, he has appeared on over 2,000 cards. His 1st Bowman are likely the most desirable, but even they are very affordable.
What’s your take on Luis Gil best prospect cards? Which ones do you own? Which ones are you chasing? And what do you think of Gil’s long-term prospects? Tell us about it at CardLines on Twitter.
Shop for Luis Gil rookie cards on eBay
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