Luis Severino to Start Yankees Spring Training Opener

New York Yankees skipper Joe Girardi has announced that 22-year old right-hander Luis Severino will start for the Yankees during their Spring Training opener on Wednesday afternoon against the Detroit Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner field.

Following Severino, Ivan Nova will get the ball on Thursday against the Phillies and Bryan Mitchell, who many consider a dark horse to make the Yankees rotation, will get the nod on Friday when the Yankees travel to Lakeland, Florida to take on the Tigers at their Spring Training facility.

Interestingly enough, despite Severino impressing last season in his short stint with the big league club (5-3, 2.89 ERA in 11 games started), Joe Girardi made it clear that Severino is by no means a lock to make the starting rotation out of Spring Training.

"“Your expectation is that he’s going to be one of our starters from what we saw, but, we’ve seen that not always translate that second year,” Girardi told ESPN Staff Writer Wallace Matthews on Sunday. “He does not have a huge body of work.”"

What Girardi is referring to is Severino’s small sample size of just 62.1 innings of major league work, and the fact that aside from the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays, Severino has yet to face any other major league lineup more than once, which is often the true test when new pitchers enter the league.

Obviously the Yankees will be hoping the young right-hander can continue his development and reach his full potential, which is blooming into the true ace of their pitching staff in the future, but they must monitor his innings limit and his maturity level first, especially because the Yankees don’t have the greatest track record of developing pitchers in the minors.

Next: Yanks Go Yard Radio Rewind: 2016 Spring Training Update

Severino’s highest single-season innings limit to date is 113.0 in 2014 when he pitched in Low-A and cruised on up to the Double-A Trenton Thunder.

His first step towards making the Yankees rotation this season starts Wednesday!

For more updates and news coverage through Spring Training be sure to follow us right here at Yanks Go Yard!