Yankees admit Luis Severino’s spot is in jeopardy
The Yankees have finally come around to admitting what every knowledgeable observer already knew. Luis Severino may not be the team’s ace come October.
If Luis Severino was pitching the way he did during the first half of the season for the New York Yankees, he would absolutely be the team’s postseason ace. Unfortunately, his performance after the All-Star break has thrown his place in the October rotation into serious question.
It’s pretty obvious the organization was hoping Severino would find a way to pitch himself out of his protracted slump. The public comments from everyone associated with the Yankees have been uniformly positive for months. The ability to stay positive despite Severino’s blatant struggles on the mound speak to the unified culture of the team.
Manager Aaron Boone has finally broken rank. He recently admitted to the media that the last 22 games of the regular season would determine who will be on the mound for the team’s first postseason game. That’s a significant departure from the team’s previous stance that Severino would remain their ace no matter what.
It’s not an emotional decision by Boone or anyone in the organization. The change in plans is routed entirely in facts. Severino has pitched more like a AAA starter than an ace in recent weeks. His ERA of 5.75 in his last seven games makes it obvious there is room for other pitchers to state their case.
Boone made clear, if the Yankees play in the WC game,obviously the expectation, who starts that game is very much in the air: "That's decided over the final 22 games. I think it comes down to who's pitching well...I think these next few weeks will kind of tell us who that guy is"
— Erik Boland (@eboland11) September 8, 2018
Unfortunately for the Yankees, no one has stepped up and grabbed the job by the throat. That would make things much easier for Boone when October arrives. The winner take all, one-game Wild Card matchup the team will likely be faced with in a few weeks looms over the clubhouse like a dark cloud. Pitching the right starting pitcher will be vital to the team’s hopes of making any sort of lengthy postseason run.
Don’t think for a moment that Severino doesn’t have a chance to regain his spot. He still has the most explosive stuff on the staff. If he can string a couple of solid starts together down the stretch then Boone would certainly be justified to give him the ball in the team’s biggest game of the year.
If Severino can’t get it together, it’s likely going to be a two-horse race for who can take the mound in his place. Masahiro Tanaka has probably been the team’s most consistent starter as of late. His propensity to give up home runs makes starting him a risk, but his devastating split finger can torment opposing hitters.
J.A. Happ also has a meaningful chance to rise to the top of the rotation. The former Blue Jays ace has been nails since coming over in a July trade. Brian Cashman acquired him to stabilize the back end of the rotation, but he’s pitched much more like a No. 1 or 2 starter since his arrival in the Bronx. His solid combination of stuff and experience could make him the right choice for Boone.
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Add it all up and it’s clear there are a lot of things up in the air for the Yankees heading into the playoffs. Nothing is more important than identifying the correct pitcher to start the Wild Card game, though. If Boone and company don’t get that choice right, none of the other issues are going to matter.