The New York Yankees pitching division has not been at their best this season. Injuries and inconsistencies rattled the starting rotation, which remained incomplete for most part of the season. Barring ace Gerrit Cole, no thrower showed up. While Carlos Rodon battled injuries, Luis Severino struggled with execution.
Luis Severino’s ERA remained above 7 for a major part of the season, which strained the rotation. To make matters worse, the pitcher suffered a season-ending injury right when he began displaying signs of life. Moreover, Severino, the longest active tenured Yankee, is an impending free agent. While the chorus of his exit has been gaining momentum, a former Yankee pitcher has extended his support to Severino.
CC Sabathia Backs Luis Severino’s Extension Despite Consistent Struggles!
Luis Severino made a strong comeback weeks after calling himself the worst pitcher in the league. His ERA soared to 11 as the New York Yankees contemplated putting the pitcher on a back burner. However, the lack of depth provided a lifeline to Severino, who put it to good use. He pitched two scoreless innings before falling prey to an oblique injury. It ended his 2023 season prematurely while leaving a question mark on the future. Amid a growing chorus over his exit, Severino found a supporter in former Yankee great pitcher CC Sabathia. In an interview, Sabathia backed Luis Severino’s continuation with the Yankees. The former Yankee made an argument that Severino has been getting hurt for the past many years and is yet to pitch for a whole season.
“Giving him another year to come back and maybe get comfortable and be in this rotation with (Cole and Rodon, I think, could help,” added CC Sabathia. The pitcher further said that in baseball, a bad stretch does not last for long. Luis Severino, for that matter, has a lot left to offer to the Yankees. He has great teammates who are ready to go back and help him at the same time. It’s just a bad phase, which certainly does not make Severino a bad pitcher altogether. After all, there is a reason the team has kept him on the roster since 2011. Having said that, Sabathia made a valid argument. The Yanks can bet for Severino for at least one more season. However, the front office will find it difficult to shut out the outside noise, which will intensify if this move goes through.
Former Yankee Pitcher Declares Yankees Ace CY Young Winner
Meanwhile, Gerrit Cole, the New York Yankees ace pitcher, is on his way to securing his career’s first CY Young Award. Arguably the best pitcher in the league, he still has an empty cabinet for this AL award. Having said that, the wait is expected to come to an end this season. CC Sabathia, meanwhile, is fully backing Cole for the CY Young race.
He says that despite all odds, Gerrit Cole has managed to remain consistent, which is not an easy task. “It’s hard to be the ace of the Yankees,” added Sabathia. The former pitcher elaborated, saying that pitching in front of a passionate New York crowd is a challenging task. And to do that each year, irrespective of the team’s condition, makes Cole an ace. Hence, he truly deserves to win the AL CY Young Award this year.
