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Is J.A. Happ emerging as the new ace for the Yankees?

By Rucker Haringey

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 29: Pitcher J.A. Happ #34 of the New York Yankees pitches in his first game as a Yankee since recently being acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays during an MLB baseball game against the Kansas City Royals on July 29, 2018 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees won 6-3. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 29: Pitcher J.A. Happ #34 of the New York Yankees pitches in his first game as a Yankee since recently being acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays during an MLB baseball game against the Kansas City Royals on July 29, 2018 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees won 6-3. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images) /
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The Yankees acquired J.A. Happ to stabilize the back-end of their rotation, but he’s pitched more like the team’s ace since his arrival in the Bronx.

It’s very likely the Yankees are going to end up in a one-game Wild Card playoff when the postseason arrives. That’s going to leave Aaron Boone with a really tough decision. He’ll need to select the right ace to help the Yankees advance in the winner take all matchup.

That makes the question of who is the true ace of the Yankees staff a pretty important one. During the first half of the 2018 campaign, this was an easy question to answer. Luis Severino was headed towards a Cy Young Award until the All-Star break arrived. His season number still look pretty good, but he’s been a below average pitcher in the second half. That’s opened up the door for other pitchers to establish themselves as Boone’s No. 1 option come October.

J.A. Happ is the only member of the rotation with a legitimate chance to unseat Severino. Fans wanted to see Brian Cashman swing a deal for a big-name pitcher before the trade deadline, but Happ was the best arm the Yankees could come up with. Many fans were dismissive of his chances to give the team a boost, but he’s been a Godsend for Boone and company.

Happ is actually the first pitcher to win his first four starts in a Yankee uniform since David Cone accomplished the feat back in 1995. He’s done that by carving opponents up to the tune of a 2.22 ERA. Happ may not have electric stuff, but his ability to command the good stuff he does have is proving to be a nightmare for Yankee opponents.

The question for Boone is which guy he should be on moving forward. Severino’s brilliant first half may seem like a distant memory at this point, but it still shows what he’s truly capable of. When the talented right-hander is on his game, there aren’t many better pitchers in all of baseball. That sort of talent will be a huge temptation for Boone when October arrives.

Happ, on the other hand, is a model of consistency. He doesn’t have the upside that Severino exudes, but the chances of him taking the mound in the playoffs and getting shelled are exceedingly low. He’s the sort of pitcher who can keep his team in a game even when he doesn’t have his best stuff.

In the end, Happ deserves credit for making this a serious decision for Boone and the higher-ups within the organization. He was, after all, acquired to be the team’s fourth starter. Based on his talent and previous performance he doesn’t have any business being considered anything approximating an ace.

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Despite the solid start to his Yankees career, Happ remains solidly behind Severino in the race to be his team’s ace. The upside of Severino is just too much to ignore. Happ gives the Yankees a great potential No. 2 option for the postseason, but he’s miscast as anything more.

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