Yankees amazing and inconceivable season at the 40-game mark

Luis Severino Fulfills a Promise

The Yankees are like most clubs: desperate for great young pitching. And it seemed way back in 2015 as if the post-Andy Pettitte drought was finally over. Out of the minors came fastball throwing flamethrower Luis Severino. He dominated the minors and was fast-tracked to the Show.

And what a show he put on. In eleven starts he put up a 2.89 ERA while he struck out 56 batters in 62 innings. He gave up only 53 hits in those 62 innings and set the Yankees universe collective unconscious into a psychically-linked fangasm.

The reality of 2016 was not nearly so pleasant. Severino was a disaster as a starter, as YanksGoYard’s Evan Halpine-Berger points out in this insightful piece. By the time we got to Yankees 2017 spring training, Severino was more wish than hope.

And it does not Spring Eternal

Fortunately, Luis has spent the 2017 Yankees season engaging in wish fulfillment. His ERA in his first eight starts and 47 innings is good enough to be second on the team at 3.64. He is behind only Pineda in WHIP (1.128) and strikeouts (54) but leads the starters in fewest hits allowed (40), and runs (20). And he has given up thirty percent fewer home runs than Big Mike (7/10).

Plus, he has already shown himself resilient. He had a bad outing two starts ago, and the fear was it would drain his confidence. Instead, he came back in his last start to go five innings with only one earned run. That is not a great start but is a bridge back to dominance, instead of careening into a four or five game skid.

He is the most improved player and might be the Yankees best pitcher.

Of course, the season is all about the Baby Bombers. Time to find out who has come out of the cradle endlessly rocking.