Yankees rookie pitcher Luis Severino burst onto the scene in early August by holding the Red Sox to just two runs on two hits in five innings in a hard-luck loss in his MLB debut. Now, just a month later, he's making the case to be a part of New York's postseason rotation and to potentially start a wild-card game should the Bronx Bombers be in that situation.
The Yankees enter Tuesday trailing the first-place Blue Jays by a half-game, so winning the division is still a great possibility with New York having six games against Toronto left on the schedule, including three at Yankee Stadium this weekend.
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If the team falters down the stretch against a Blue Jays team that was bolstered by a busy non-waiver trade deadline in July, it may have to rely on the wild-card, where it owns a five-game cushion in the top slot.
It may be risky to expose Severino, 21, to such a huge do-or-die game this early in his career, but with his strong performances since being called up the majors, it's at least worth considering. Severino is 3-2 in six starts (35.1 innings) with a 2.04 ERA, 34 strikeouts and 14 walks. He started September on the right foot, pitching 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball in a 5-2 victory over the Rays.
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Though he's young, Severino's presence has had an impact of stability on a New York rotation that has been through its ups and downs. The closest competition to Severino that would warrant a starting role in a win or go home game would be Masahiro Tanaka, who still has a partially torn ligament in his elbow.
Tanaka, 26, is the most likely pitcher to start a potential wild-card game and he is 11-6 with a 3.73 ERA thus far this season. Much like Severino, Tanaka has never pitched in a playoff game in the MLB, but these are the two pitchers that have earned a start in a winner-take-all scenario and both should make the playoff rotation.
Outside of this tandem, the Yankees rotation is shaky at best. CC Sabathia (4-9, 5.27 ERA) is returning from a knee injury Wednesday, but has shown his age (35) this season with plenty of struggles and is always an injury risk. Nathan Eovaldi (14-3, 4.20) has turned things around since his early issues, but was shut down for two weeks with an inflamed right elbow.
Michael Pineda (10-8, 4.15) was flat-out untouchable in the early parts of the season, but pitched to a grisly 10.38 ERA in August. Ivan Nova (6-7, 4.50) recently worked his way back from Tommy John surgery and had a ghastly 5.67 ERA last month. Adam Warren (6-5, 3.28) was moved to the bullpen earlier this season.
All told the Yankees rotation ranks 18th in the MLB with a combined 4.29 ERA from its starting pitchers. Severino and Tanaka should make the postseason rotation while Eovaldi and Pineda are the likely choices to round it out if everyone is healthy come season's end.
Given all the question marks surrounding its rotation, Tanaka or Severino should get the start for New York if it comes down to a wild-card game. Maybe the rookie should get a chance to shine in October.
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