Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s okay, though, we’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
★★★
Rookie right hander Luis Severino has only weathered six outings in his major league career, but Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi is already eyeing the 21-year-old for a playoff start. Severino, whose pitching style mirrors that of Pedro Martinez, delivered another gem during Friday’s 5-2 win over the Rays. The righty served up five strikeouts, three walks and a single earned run, boosting his ERA to a cool 2.04.
However, the most impressive aspect of Severino’s game isn’t his ERA or his 96 mph fastball, it’s his consistency. He’s hanging on to a streak of five quality starts, and has allowed no more than three earned runs in any given outing. Not only are the Yankees chasing the Blue Jays for the AL East pennant, but they’re battling injuries on and off the mound. CC Sabathia is slated to return to the rotation by Wednesday after rehabbing a degenerative knee condition, and will likely have to pitch with his right knee in a brace. First baseman Mark Teixeira was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday with a bone bruise in his right shin.
It’s no surprise, then, that Girardi envisions his filthiest pitcher in a playoff spot, despite his relative inexperience. Severino has proven that he is capable of handling high pressure situations so far, whether he’s debuting against the perennial rival Red Sox in Boston or striking out nine of the division-leading Blue Jays. It also helps that the young hurler has no restrictions on his innings this season. The Yankees’ postseason success may not be a sure thing yet, but Severino’s future with the club is all but set in stone.
- The Royals could clinch their first AL Central Division title in just a couple of weeks.
- If Marlon Byrd logs another 100 plate appearances for the Giants, they’ll owe him $8 million in 2016 and that’s a bad idea.
- Are the Phillies equipped to revive an ailing starting rotation in 2016?
- The Mariners may be out of playoff contention in 2015, but here’s what their championship team might have looked like in an alternate universe of replacement level players.
- For the second time in five years, the Angels are considering hiring Yankees’ assistant GM, Billy Eppler.
- CC Sabathia is almost ready to rejoin the Yankees, but it’s unlikely he’ll be fit for anything but a starting role.
- Should the Pirates extend Francisco Cervelli, or is it time to start shopping for a new backstop?
- The Orioles have a decent shot at reconstructing their killer bullpen in 2016, but it would be a lot easier if they could keep Darren O’Day around.
- Why did NESN ask Red Sox play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo to pretend he wasn’t fired?
- The greatest pitching staff in Cardinals’ history fell apart when players wanted to be paid more than $15,000.
See More:
