Empire Writes Back
Fansided

New York Yankees: Ivan Nova Can Lock Down Rotation Spot Wednesday

By Kenneth Teape

May 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ivan Nova (47) throws the ball against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kenny Karst-USA TODAY Sports
May 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ivan Nova (47) throws the ball against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kenny Karst-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The New York Yankees have turned things around in recent weeks, and a big reason for that is the performance of Ivan Nova.

The New York Yankees were able to climb back to the .500 mark on Tuesday for the first time since April 14th with their defeat of the Toronto Blue Jays. They will look to get above the .500 mark for the first time since April 13th on Wednesday night, and couldn’t be set up much better than having Ivan Nova on the mound.

Nova has been outstanding for the Yankees since taking over for the injured C.C. Sabathia and Luis Severino. Nova has been a big reason for the Yankees success in recent weeks, as they have gone 13-5 since falling a season-high eight games under .500 on May 5th. He has had a hand in three of those wins, as Nova has replaced the horrific starts of Severino with strong ones of his own.

Nova began the season in the Yankees’ bullpen, something he was not overly excited about. He had hoped to start the season in the rotation, but there was not really a spot open other than the ‘competition’ he had with Sabathia. It was never really in doubt that Sabathia would come out of the bullpen, so it was Nova that saw the demotion.

More from New York Yankees

The decision seemed to have an impact on Nova, as his performance was rocky at best coming out of the bullpen. He was acclimating to something he had never done previously, and it was not going well. After a strong performance in his first appearance, pitching four shutout innings against the Houston Astros for the save, Nova struggled.

Nova would give up at least one run in three of his next five appearances, giving him an ERA of 5.14 as a reliever. But, once injuries began mounting in the rotation, Nova was called upon and something clicked performance wise for him.

Since getting into the rotation, Nova has been outstanding. He has made three starts, going 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. While Nova didn’t pick up the victory in his first start, as he went 4 2/3 innings, the Yankees were still able to get the win, making them 3-0 in his starts this season.

More from Empire Writes Back

That is something that cannot be said about the starts that Severino made, as he has an unsightly 7.46 ERA and 0-6 record; the Yankees have lost all seven of the starts Severino has made, as their opponent has scored at least four runs in every game.

Nova has outperformed Severino this season, and has earned the right to remain in the starting rotation going forward. If Nova can put together another strong performance tonight against the Blue Jays, he should cement his spot in the rotation.

Next: Who are the 5 greatest Yankees of all-time?

While Nova doesn’t have the potential that Severino possesses, he is pitching better currently and deserves to stay in the rotation. It is tough to lose a spot because of injury, but Nova is doing something that Severino has been unable to do this season, and that is put the Yankees in a position to win each time he takes the mound.

Home/New York Yankees