Like many, I was glued to my TV on Wednesday night watching the debut of prized Yankees prospect Luis Severino. And like many, I walked away impressed. He featured a live fastball that touched 98 mph, a very solid changeup with good action and a tight slider that sometimes disguised itself as a cutter -- likely because Severino was a little amped and overthrowing it at times. Seven strikeouts with no walks over five innings in a Bronx debut is commendable.
GM Brian Cashman said this was the plan all along -- limit Severino's innings in the minors (99 1/3 this season) so he could be called up in August and pitch without limitation through October. It's an interesting concept but leaves me concerned about what Severino can be for the Yankees in 2015.
Take a look at Severino's last five starts in Triple-A and then his MLB debut Wednesday:
| Date | IP | Pitches |
| 7/2 | 5.0 | 83 |
| 7/7 | 4.0 | 85 |
| 7/12 | 5.0 | 64 |
| 7/24 | 5.0 | 82 |
| 7/29 | 6.0 | 92 |
| *8/5 | 5.0 | 94 |
* MLB debut
Part of the innings-limitation process was rarely letting Severino go beyond 95 pitches or 5 innings. In his 19 minor-league starts this season, he pitched past the fifth inning only five times. He went above 95 pitches only four times and above 100 once, when he threw 103 back on June 16. In his MLB debut, Severino fell right in line with what he has been doing all season.
The reality of the situation is that this is what we should expect from Severino's starts for rest of this year: about five, maybe six innings and 90-95 pitches. Yankees starters entered Thursday tied for 23rd in innings pitched. They don't go deep in games and the addition of Severino will likely continue to tax the bullpen.
It's not his fault. Severino, while having his arm protected, has been conditioned to be a five-inning, occasionally six-inning, starter. Pushing him to seven or eight innings and 110 or more pitches would actually increase his chances of getting hurt, and I doubt the Yankees will do that.
I applaud the Yankees for holding on to their prospects at the deadline, and I am optimistic about Severino's long-term future. But when I try to project what Severino can safely do this season, I can't help but think that an established major-league starter like Mike Leake or even Mat Latos would have been a smart addition to pair with Severino for the stretch run.
