5 questions the Yankees must answer before the Playoffs

2. Can Luis Severino pitch like an ace?

We’re not going to rehash Severino’s second half struggles here. Suffice it to say he was brilliant before the All-Star break, and he’s been average at best since then. That puts Boone in a pretty tough spot.

Ironically, Severino’s last several starts are going to make Boone’s job even more difficult. He pitched a solid game at Minnesota last week and followed it up with a really encouraging outing against Boston’s powerful offense this week. It might be too little, too late to get him the nod in the Wild Card game, but it does put him in contention for that honor.

Even if Severino doesn’t pitch in the Wild Card game, his ability to give the Yankees quality innings is going to be crucial for the team’s hopes of winning a series if they advance. If New York is able to dispatch Oakland, they’re going to need Severino to pitch a great ball game against the Red Sox in the next series.

In short, the concern is that Severino pitches like an ace, not necessarily the ace. At the very least, Boone is going to need a quality start or two out of Sevy if the Yankees are going to have any meaningful postseason success. The very recent signs are encouraging on that front, but no one will feel great about Severino’s prospects until he makes a good playoff start.