Very few players enjoy being New York Yankees more than pitcher Luis Severino.
He wears his heart on his sleeve each and every time he pitches – and you can tell he takes great pride in wearing the pinstripes.
Unfortunately for Severino however, 2023 has been the season from hell for him.
In his own words, he called himself “the worst pitcher in baseball.” That might have been a tad dramatic, but it’s not far off either.
A left oblique strain has prematurely ended his season, and reality is setting in for Severino that his Yankee days are most likely over.
The 29-year-old has been with the organization since 2011 and has seen both good days and bad. There was once a time when he was projected to be the team’s future ace.
However, times have changed…
“What can I say? There’s a large chance it could happen,” Severino said of this Yankee days being over. “I don’t know what the future’s going to bring to me.”
Luis Severino has been a liability for several seasons and he will remain a serious injury risk next year with his mechanics.
Easy pass and this team has zero luck with injuries so we know how the story will go if they bring him back for a year.
— Yankeesource ⚾️ (@YankeeSource) September 20, 2023
The Dominican Republic native has had a rollercoaster career with the Yankees, marked by both dominant pitching performances and frustrating injury setbacks.
He made his debut in 2015, rising to prominence in 2017 when he finished third in AL Cy Young voting.
Severino earned an All-Star nod for the second time in 2018, recording an impressive 3.39 ERA.
However, injuries began to plague his career, culminating in Tommy John surgery in 2020, which kept him sidelined for significant periods. Last year, he showed promise with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts but was hampered by a lat strain that cost him valuable time.
This season started with yet another lat strain, and Severino faced various challenges on the mound. He battled as best he could but was largely ineffective.
Reflecting on his time in New York, Severino said: “I’ve given my 100% every day. I’ve had a lot of injuries here, but I’ve enjoyed being a Yankee. If I had to choose my career again, I would always choose being a Yankee.”
Severino revealed that he has not engaged in discussions with the Yankees about a contract extension, leaving his future wide open.
While he expressed a desire to return, the team’s financial commitments to pitchers like Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, along with the emergence of young talents, could make a reunion unlikely.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future with the Yankees, Severino remained appreciative of his time in pinstripes, stating: “If this is the end, I’ve loved it.”
You can count former Yankees ace CC Sabathia as someone who wants Severino back in pinstripes.
“I would love to see Sevy come back. Obviously he got hurt, but he was turning it around before he got hurt and I just think he hasn’t pitched a full season in a long time. Giving him another year to come back and maybe get comfortable and be in this rotation with [Cole and Rodón], I think could help, Sabathia said.
“It’s baseball. You have bad stretches, and this won’t be the last bad stretch that he has. He’ll have more. It’s how you overcome, how you are as a teammate when you’re going through these things. And I think he’s been great. He’s in front of his locker answering questions, trying to figure out as much as he can, just like everybody else.”
Yankees should bring back Luis Severino, CC Sabathia tells Max Goodman of NJ Dot Com:
"I would love to see Sevy come back. Obviously he got hurt, but he was turning it around before he got hurt and I just think he hasn’t pitched a full season in a long time. Giving him another… pic.twitter.com/Ih2GfFeK50
— Joe Randazzo (@Yankeelibrarian) September 19, 2023
Unfortunately for Severino, CC is not the Yankees GM. (Although the team might be better off if he was.)
Do you think we have seen the last of Severino in the Bronx?
What should the Yankees do this offseason?