Give Luis Severino the ball at the outset, he’s all too hittable, a batting-practice pitcher who could develop whiplash his neck snaps back so often to watch balls soar over the wall.
But bring the 22-year-old right-hander in during the middle innings, out of the bullpen, and he morphs into a polished young pitcher, dominant and precise, lighting up radar guns, and freezing opponents with his darting slider.
The latter was on display yet again Wednesday night, Severino inheriting a runner on second in the sixth inning and mowing down the potent Blue Jays over three innings of impeccable relief in the Yankees’ 2-0 victory at the Stadium.
“He’s got more of an edge out of the bullpen,” first baseman Mark Teixeira said. “Whatever it is, I like it.”
Everyone in Yankees pinstripes does.
In his latest piece of dominant relief work, Severino allowed just one hit and struck out three while throwing 52 pitches, 31 for strikes, helping the Yankees complete an impressive three-game sweep of the Blue Jays and move within 2 ¹/₂ games of the Orioles for the second American League wild card. His stuff was so filthy, Russell Martin corkscrewed himself into the dirt trying to catch up to a 99-mph fastball from Severino. He made B.J. Upton look silly, blowing more 99-mph heat past him to close the seventh and strand a runner at third base.
“He’s just electric,” catcher Austin Romine said. “There’s no fear behind any pitches he throws. It doesn’t matter who’s hitting. He blew a couple of really good hitters [away] with heaters.
“That was the best I’ve seen him.”
Severino, who has spent the year being shuttled between Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre and The Bronx, has been used out of the bullpen in five games, and in 14 ¹/₃ innings pitched, has yet to give up an earned run and allowed only two hits (16 strikeouts, six walks).
Meanwhile, in nine big league starts this year, Severino is 0-8 with an 8.58 ERA and opponents are batting .340 against him with a .976 OPS.
Out of the bullpen, Severino seems more sure of himself, his stuff more electric, his control better. As a starter, he’s timid, unsure of himself, nibbling instead of attacking. It is strange, because Severino went 5-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 11 starts last year for the Yanks. But right now, put Severino in the bullpen and he looks like an All-Star.
“When they call me [into the game], I just get it in my mind, attack the hitter, attack the hitter,” he said. “When I was a starter, I was missing with my spots. That was the reason [I struggled].
“I want to be a starter, but right now I’m helping the team as a reliever.”