It’s always exciting to watch players revive their careers, especially when they exceed expectations. Like R.A. Dickey before him, Luis Severino seems to be doing just that.
Severino signed a one-year, $13 million deal this offseason, aiming to bounce back from a rough 2023 with the Yankees, where he posted a 6.65 ERA over 89 1/3 innings. Despite numerous injury setbacks, Severino was dominant in his first seven seasons, with a 3.39 ERA and 709 strikeouts.
Injuries derailed much of his 2019-2021 seasons; however, Severino showed promise again in 2022 with a 3.18 ERA over 19 starts, and that promise is why David Stearns and the Mets took a gamble on him. So far, that gamble has worked out better than anyone expected when the pen hit the paper.
Though he didn’t earn the win on Sunday, Severino continued his strong season, allowing just one run on five hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings against the Reds, striking out eight as well as a pickoff at first base.
Luis Severino's 4 Consecutive Ks. pic.twitter.com/JLq9iZl2kx
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 8, 2024
Severino kept the Reds scoreless through six innings, but a two-out RBI single by Noelvi Marte in the seventh tied the game and ended his outing. It marked the fourth time in his last six starts that he struck out at least eight batters and the fourth time in five outings Severino’s allowed no more than one earned run, posting a 1.95 ERA in that time frame.
Of his five hits allowed, only one was hard-hit, a 96 mph single from Elly De La Cruz. He induced extremely soft contact on the other four, showing Severino’s success pitching to contact with his much-improved sinker. He also maintained his high-velocity four-seam fastball deep into the game, which is a promising sign for the Mets.
Last week against the Red Sox, Severino threw seven innings of one-run ball, bringing his ERA down to 3.74. Better pitch combinations and more strikes show his steady improvement, similar to the seasons of rotation-mates David Peterson and Sean Manaea.
The Mets rotation has excelled recently, posting a 2.05 ERA over the last 10 games, which clocks in as the best in the majors. Starters have gone at least six innings in seven of those games, reducing pressure on the bullpen.
Workload and durability had long been issues for Severino, but this season, he seems to be thriving the more he pitches. After years of limited innings, he’s now blowing past his recent totals with ease.
Since throwing 191 1/3 innings in 2018, Severino hadn’t exceeded 102 innings until 2022. This season, he’s up to 166 innings. Entering Sunday, only 15 pitchers in the league had logged more, and none were with the Mets. Severino’s ability to stay on the mound has been a crucial factor in the stability of the Mets’ rotation this season.
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