The crown is tattooed just above his last name on the back of his neck, the ink he received after the 2021 season when he made his MLB debut.
It is a nod to the nickname that was bestowed upon him after an impressive start to his major league career. He had been wearing a chain that had a medallion that spelled “King,” and the Yankees’ social media accounts dubbed him “King of the Gil.”
Luis Gil (pronounced “heel”) enjoyed the nickname so much that he got the tattoo to help him remember the moment, the debut, the mindset that he took with him onto the mound to dominate and the taste of the big leagues he wanted more of until it was taken away from him when he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022.
Two years later, Gil has returned to the big league mound that often doubles as his throne.
