The Yankees chose Luis Severino to start their Wild Card game against the Athletics to solidify his status as their ace of the present and future.
Aaron Boone has finally ended the speculation and named Luis Severino as the Yankees’ starting pitcher on Wednesday night. This wasn’t a decision designed just to maximize the team’s chances of advancing to the Division Round. This was a choice designed to maximize Severino’s career in pinstripes.
Ultimately this decision came down to three pitchers for the Yankees organization. J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka both enjoyed better second halves than Severino. Boone and company could easily have tapped either pitcher to take the ball against the Athletics and fans would have understood.
In the end, the organization realized they needed to give Severino this massive shot of confidence. He’s a guy they’d really like to be good in the Wild Card game, but they need him to be really good for years to come. He’s the organization’s best chance of emerging as a legitimate ace of the future.
To ascend to that level, Severino has to put the memories of last year’s horrific Wild Card start firmly behind him. He recorded a grand total of one out versus the Twins in the 2017 Wild Card game. That performance has haunted him for a full calendar year. There’s no better way for him to get over that trauma than by excelling against the Athletics this season.
Judge on Severino starting Wild Card: “It should be Sevy. He’s our ace.” #Yankees
— Brendan Kuty 🧟♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) October 2, 2018
In fairness, this does represent a calculated gamble by the organization. If Severino goes out against Oakland and gets shelled his postseason confidence might be permanently destroyed. Clearly, that’s a chance Boone, Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankees brain trust are willing to take.
Don’t think for a moment that starting Severino means the Yankees aren’t taking the Wild Card game seriously. If the organization believed starting him was going to significantly diminish their chances of beating Oakland they would have gone with Happ or Tanaka.
There are significant reasons to think Severino does give the Yankees the best chance to win the winner take all game. He definitely has the most dominating stuff of the trio. You only need to look back at the way he threw the ball before the All Star Break as proof of that idea.. If he brings his best stuff to the mound on Wednesday night he can shut down Oakland’s offense.
The Yankees may not win the Wild Card game, but starting Severino is a choice that everyone in pinstripes can live with. He’s a player the entire organization needs to develop into a legitimate superstar if they want to contend for World Series titles for the next decade. Handing him the ball in the most important game of this season is a great way to position him to handle that pressure moving forward.