Did the Yankees give up on Luis Severino too early? New Mets’ ace has some opinions.
NEW YORK— Mets starter Luis Severino spent 12 years with the Yankees. So it must have surprised him that following the worst season of his career in 2023, they decided to let him go.
To his credit, Severino did not take the lack of interest on behalf of the only team he knew at the time personally. It allowed him to expand his MLB experience beyond the Bronx, where he discovered another franchise in Queens, some ten miles distant.
Severino has made six starts for the Mets and already appears at ease in his new uniform. He leads the team in innings pitched (35) and strikeouts (31) while also leading all Mets starters with a 2.31 ERA and 1.057 WHIP.
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So, how much of his early-season success stems from a desire to convince his previous club that they gave up on him too soon? Severino says there are none.
“No. For me, I realize that it’s the system; after all, this is a business,” Severino told NJ Advance Media. “I’m grateful for all they done for me since it’s because of them that I’m Luis Severino today. I don’t believe they abandoned up on me, but perhaps they believed they had a better choice. I understand the choice.
After emerging as an ace at 23 years old in 2017, throwing to a 2.98 ERA with 220 strikeouts in 193-1/3 innings and earning an All-Star nomination, it appeared like the Yankees would have a useful arm for years.
To coming. Severino struggled to remain healthy after being named an All-Star for the second straight year in 2018.
Over the following five seasons (2019-2023), Severino made only 51 appearances (46 starts), recording a 4.16 ERA and 247 strikeouts in 244-1/3 innings.
In 2016, Severino reached rock bottom. That’s when he had a 4-8 record with career lows in ERA (6.65) and WHIP (1.646), H/9 (11.4), and HR/9 (2.3). This eventually prompted the Yankees, the team he thought he’d “die” playing for, to let him leave.
Luckily, Severino signed with the Mets early in free agency. He considers himself lucky to have found a team that meets all of his requirements.
“The reason I came here is because I like the people they have here,” he remarked. “I felt like the pitching coaches, the front office with the information they give you, I felt that would help me a lot.”