Yankees: Right now, J.A. Happ should get AL Wild Card start

Without a doubt, Luis Severino is the Yankees ace. However, over the past three weeks, J.A. Happ has been the club’s most effective pitcher, and if the season ended today, he should start the AL Wild Card Game.

Though the Yankees will not abandon their pursuit of winning the AL East, preparations need to be made if ground on the Red Sox cannot be made up, and fast.

With the Sox going 9-1 and Yanks 7-3 during their past 10 games, respectively; the probability of playing in the dreaded one-game Wild Card is becoming more and more likely.

The club closest to the Yankees for the first WC spot is the Oakland A’s, who find themselves 8-2 over the same 10-game span. Suffice to say, when you factor in the Seattle Mariners, who are lying in the weeds, 3.5 games back of the A’s (6-4 in their last 10), there are enough good teams in the AL to make things interesting all the way through September.

And had it not been for the Yanks’ pre-non-waiver trade deadline deal for J.A. Happ, I’d be more than a little concerned about the contest scheduled for Oct. 3 at 8 P.M. on ESPN.

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If the WC becomes the only feasible way for the Yankees to enter the Postseason, then they’ll want to keep that top spot, earning themselves home-field advantage. Having to travel six hours cross-country to play a shoot-out is beneficial to no one.

However, whether the game is played in the Bronx, Oakland or even Seattle, the Bombers have the right man to get them through to the ALDS — J.A. Happ.

Since making his first start in pinstripes on July 29, the 35-year-old left-hander has gone 3-0 with 1.89 ERA, 0.737 WHIP and a .131 BAA in 19 innings pitched. Contracting hand, foot and mouth disease robbed Happ of at least one start.

This unbeaten run includes Tuesday night’s seven scoreless inning performance over the Rays, as the Yankees prevailed victoriously, 4-1. Allowing just one hit, while striking out four and walking four through 106 pitches, the 12-year veteran once again did what he was acquired to — bring stability to a see-saw rotation.

Now 7-1 in 11 career starts in the Bronx, Happ is unflappable, pitching in the consistently competitive AL East. Whether he’s mixing pitches, throwing up in the zone or challenging the opposition in on the hands, Happ seems to come alive even more so than usual in the midst of a Postseason push.

Back in 2015, when he was traded from the Mariners to the Pirates, who were fighting for their playoff lives, Happ went 7-2 with a 1.85 ERA down the stretch.

Of course, the optimal choice to keep the Yankees’ World Series hopes alive — nine times out of 10 is Luis Severino. And if Sevy can find the rhythm that had him smack dab in the middle of the AL Cy Young race up until the All-Star break, then great — hand him the ball.

However, coming off his shortest outing of the season on Monday vs. the Mets (4 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 HR, 6 K), there need’s to be less pressure on the 24-year-old hurler, not more. In his last seven outings, Sevy is 2-4 with a 7.50 ERA and 1.72 WHIP while allowing 54 hits in 36 innings.

In no way do we want a repeat of last season’s Wild Card Game against the Twins — when Severino lasted just one-third of an inning, allowing four hits, three runs, two long balls and a walk.

As of right now, Severino says his arm isn’t tired, and the club reports that nothing is physically wrong with him. Hopefully, whatever it is that has degraded Sevy’s overall second-half effectiveness is remedied long before October. Otherwise, Happ should get the nod, come Oct. 3.