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5 questions the Yankees must answer in spring training

By Rucker Haringey

Bronx, N.Y.: CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees pitches in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2018 in the Bronx, New York (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Newsday via Getty Images)
Bronx, N.Y.: CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees pitches in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2018 in the Bronx, New York (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Newsday via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 3: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees looks on during the American League Wild Card game against the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 3: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees looks on during the American League Wild Card game against the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

1. Is Luis Severino right?

The Yankees acquired James Paxton via trade and re-signed J.A. Happ to give their starting rotation much better depth in 2019. Severino is still the player with the best chance to be a dominant ace for Boone next season. A healthy and productive spring training would go a long way towards giving Severino a platform to carry forward into the regular season.

It’s easy to forget about just how dominant Severino was during the first half of 2018. He would have won the Cy Young Award in a landslide if it were based on his performance before the All-Star break.

That doesn’t change how rough things got for him down the stretch. Some combination of his propensity to tip his pitches and inconsistency with his mechanics made him downright bad at times. His inability to pitch at an elite level really hurt the Yankees’ chances of making an extended postseason run.

Next. 5 Yankees who will exceed expectations in 2019. dark

There’s no chance Severino will do enough in spring training to silence those doubts completely. That can’t really happen until October. However, he can make significant progress this spring. He’ll have plenty of time to clean up his mechanics and eliminate those tells that give opposing hitters the upper hand. His preseason work is the most important thing for the Yankees to manage in spring training.

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