Tuesday, May 17, 2016

You Can’t Let Luis Severino Back in the Rotation, Can You?


The New York Yankees have been left scratching their heads after most of Luis Severino’s starts this season. The young right-hander took the minor leagues by storm in 2015 only to come up to the Bronx and continue his dominance against Major League hitting. The Yankees thought they had their ace for the current and for the future in Severino heading out of spring training camp this season but Severino has done nothing to live up to the hype train that followed him up until his triceps injury earlier this month. With CC Sabathia slated to be back on Friday after a groin strain landed him on the 15-day DL and Ivan Nova pitching for his future and a contract like a mad man possessed you can’t really allow Severino back in the rotation when he returns, can you?

I’ve said it in a few of my game preview posts on the blog and I’ll say it again only because I truly mean it. A young guy or a player with a minor league option is simply a ticking time bomb when you play for the New York Yankees. If there is a veteran or a “sure thing” also biding for playing time and you, the young gun, have minor league options it’s usually just a matter of when a bad start will come that will be used as an excuse to demote you and not if. This is likely going to be the case, in my opinion, for Severino as well but this time I have to say that I agree with it.

Severino’s confidence has to be shattered. If it’s not he is much more of a man than I am. He has been hit and hit hard in almost every start he’s had this season and what compounds the problem is that he is getting beat on his best pitch. His slider is being hit hard and Severino has no idea where his fastball is going these days and a trip back to Scranton can only help him. Another injury will occur and the combination of Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi, CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova may need some time off opening a door for Severino to get his foot back in the door. It wouldn’t be forever, it may not even be for a long time, but it would be helpful.


Send Severino down and make sure he’s healthy. Healthy physically and healthy in the mind. 

2 comments:

  1. Very good synopsis Daniel, you got it right that is for sure. The kid has everything he needs to be a top of the line starter, let's see if he has the guts to work on his stuff. Something I think, he may have forgotten with all the numbers he has been putting up in "AA" and "AAA" and lest year.
    There is a cost to be paid for being number one and only those willing to pay said price can become number one!
    Let's hope he has what it takes to be a number one. The talent is there, is everything else?

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    Replies
    1. He can only be his worst enemy. Shaking off McCann far too much doesn't help.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)