Is Yankees Top Prospect Luis Severino The Answer To Rotation Problems

With Vidal Nuno having another horrible outing his last time out (which is one of many this year), and C.C.  Sabathia and Michael Pineda taking a little longer than expected to come back from injury, some of the team at Yanks Go Yard have suggested that perhaps it is time to give top pitching prospect Luis Severino a shot in the #5 slot.

Serverino is listed as the top right-handed pitching prospect in the Yankees’ system, and is second overall behind lefty Ian Clarkin. Serverino has been very impressive this season, posting a 2.79 ERA, and what sticks out is that he has 70 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 67+ innings pitched. That level of control shows he pitches in the zone effectively, and also knows how to put hitters away.

Why Severino Over Clarkin?

Serverino has just been better, although Clarkin has been pretty good. Serverino has been on that next level. Ian Clarkin is 2-3 this year, with a 3.67 ERA and has 42 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. The biggest disparity between the two, is that Serverino has gone much deeper into games.

Scouting Report On Severino

Serverino’s fastball is a blistering 97 MPH, which he locates well, and is somewhat of his go-to pitch. He also has a change-up that he throws up to 90 MPH. Serverino has a plus slider, that will need some work, but also has shown the potential to be an out pitch.

Although he is not a polished prospect, can it get any worse than Vidal Nuno? And if Serverino does perform well, that could also help propel him through the minor leagues faster, because it looks like he’s too good for the lower levels of the minors. Remember this is just an audition, and a call-up to the majors for a spot start would do a world of good for his confidence.

We’ve seen David Huff in the majors with the Giants, and he’s not much of an upgrade from Nuno. Why not give the Baby Bomber a chance to show what he’s got?