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New York Yankees: Problems with the Starting Rotation

By Christian Kouroupakis

Oct 6, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (19) reacts after the second inning against the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card playoff baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 6, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (19) reacts after the second inning against the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card playoff baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 4, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino (40) pitches during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 4, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino (40) pitches during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

The 21-year-old Luis Severino bursted onto the scene last August and gave Yankee fans a sneak peek at the future.

Severino started 11 games, and pitched a total of 62.1 innings, for an average of 5.2 innings per start. He managed an impressive 2.89 ERA, 1.203 WHIP, 8.1 K/9 and was a great importance to the Yankees during their stretch run.

His mid-90’s fastball and upper 80’s slider electrified Yankee stadium and was everything that he was advertised to be, but there could be some problems here. At times, he struggled with control and gave up too many home runs at times, I may be nit picking here, but didn’t Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, and Phil Hughes have the same issue?

I’m not saying Severino is going to follow that path, in fact I think he’ll take over as an ace in the future, but all three (Kennedy, Hughes, and Chamberlain) generated considerable buzz heading into the first spring training. They were expected to win a big league job, got the job, and all three failed to meet those expectations in New York.

The worst-case scenario for Severino here is that his hype falls through and the league catches up to his pitches. We saw a prime example of that when the Toronto Blue Jays beat up on him in a key September game in the Bronx.

For Severino in particular, the talent is obvious. The trick is making sure he’s not overwhelmed by the hype and competition surrounding him.

Next: Nathan Eovaldi

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