After a rough second half, the Yankee ace was lit up in the postseason, but was there an underlying cause?
When a young starter gets roughed up in a postseason outing, there are a lot of avenues to consider when it comes to diagnosing his struggles. Analysts and fans look at the pitcher’s recent performance, his history against that particular team and the weather conditions.
Plus, there are thousands of advanced statistics to look at that can explain a player’s performance.
But after New York Yankees‘ ace Luis Severino was hit hard in his ALDS Game 3 start against the Boston Red Sox, Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman had a different take — he felt that Severino was tipping his pitches.
The suspicion seems to be warranted. Red Sox hitters were all over Severino’s stuff all night long, clobbering heaters from one of the hardest throwers in baseball. Astonishingly, six of Boston’s first 13 hitters put the ball in play with an exit velocity of 100 mph or greater. Even Boston’s outs were missiles.
Red Sox broadcaster Lou Merloni noted early in the game that he felt Boston had a beat on the young ace’s pitches. On Twitter, a GIF has circulated which appears to show Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr. mouthing the word “fastball” to Mookie Betts before a pitch to Brock Holt.
The possibility that Severino was tipping his pitches certainly makes sense. His fastball was alive and well, hitting 98 mph with relative ease. His slider had its normal bite. The Red Sox just seemed to always know when to swing and when not to.
For a young pitcher like Severino, pitch-tipping is not uncommon. Experienced hitters around the league prey on any advantage they can get. So if Boston’s veteran lineup got even the slightest indication that they could get a beat on what Severino would throw before he threw it, you had better bet they’d take advantage.
With a young roster and first-year manager in Aaron Boone, it’s also completely conceivable that New York had no idea what was going on.
If the reports are indeed true, Severino can use it as a learning experience. After all, as people seem to forget because of the success he’s had already, the guy is still just 24 years old.