Let me say something again, that I have been saying for years (it feels like forever)
YOU CAN NOT BE A STARTER WITH ONLY 2 PITCHES.
(hitters can guess, also..what do you do when you don’t have the feel for one of them)
And when it comes to Luis Severino I will never “CHANGE” my mind !!
Luis Severino had an out-pitch in the minor leagues that he no longer uses.
It was a Change-Up that he threw at 83-85 mph. The pitch was not only
much slower than his plus Fast Ball, but his Change also had sink & fade to it that
went in the opposite direction of his Slider.
Luis Severino has more raw talent than any starter on the team. His stuff is electric !
He can dial up his Fast Ball to 99 mph, and he also has a wipe-out Slider at times.
Tonight (8/9/16) at Fenway Park he came into the game with so much hope and
expectation that he & the Yankees coaching staff had fixed the problems that
caused him to get off to a 0-6 start this season.
Last week Severino (in his 2nd appearance since coming back up from Triple-A)
dominated the NY Mets for 4 1/3 innings out of the bullpen,
but tonight was a microcosm of the season for Severino and the Yankees.
High expectations but poor results due to a flawed fundamental approach.
Severino has great stuff, but his FB is in the mid 90’s and his Slider is around 88-90 mph.
He is predictable and hitters can guess. In addition sometimes his Slider has downward tilt
that makes it un-hittable but sometimes it is ordinary with side-to-side movement, like
many he threw tonight.
His Change Up (when he does throw it rarely), is too fast at 90 mph, and more importantly
straight as a string compared to the late life /fade it once possessed.
His scouting report is attached to this column.
Someone on the Yankees should read it
I don’t blame Severino. I blame Coaching & Management.
SAVE SEVY !!!
Here are the scouting reports on Severino. Notice how they spoke about how good his CHANGE UP was.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2383806-new-york-yankees-what-to-expect-from-top-prospect-luis-severino-in-2015
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2014/8/26/6066547/scouting-yankees-righthander-luis-severino
https://youtu.be/fIyG7QNvzTU