Cory Gearrin

New York Yankees: Severino Impresses in Season Debut

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New York Yankees, Luis Severino

Luis Severino, a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, shows his ace-like stuff in a win against the Los Angeles Angels, on Tuesday night.

Severino was activated off of the 60-day IL last weekend, after being sidelined with right rotator cuff and right lat injuries. He has not appeared in a game in 344 days, his last appearance came in Game 3 of the ALDS last year against the Red Sox (MLB.com).

His outing consisted of 4 innings of two-hit ball, on 67 pitches, and nine swings and misses. His repertoire consisted of 96.6 average MPH on 37 fastballs, 19 sliders, and 11 changeups (MLB.com). Severino, Loaisiga (winning pitcher), Gearrin, and Adams combined for a six-hit shutout. This gives the Yankees their 99th win of the season. Aaron Boone and the Yankees front office are making a smart move in easing Severino back into the rotation.

How Effective can Severino be in the Playoffs?

With 10 games left, Severino should be expected to make two more starts. Increasing his pitch count in each outing, he will ultimately be prepared for the postseason. He will be a big boost for a slowly improving rotation.

The ideal spot in the playoff rotation for Severino would most likely be to start game two. Paxton has been one of the best pitchers in the league for the past two months and should be rewarded with being on the bump in game 1 of the 2019 American League Divisional Series. Tanaka, with his experience and track record in the playoffs, should get the nod in game 3 on the road.

The Yankees look to achieve 100 wins on the year and clinch the division by the end of the series, with the magic number at just two. A World Series win would make a great headline, with all the injuries this team has endured. The baseball world is seeing similar signs of Yankees’ past World Series runs, like the ones in ’98 and ’09. Fans can only wait and see what this team brings to the table in the postseason.

New York Yankees Sign RHP Cory Gearrin, RHP Domingo Acevedo Released

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Cory Gearrin? Domingo Acevedo? What are the New York Yankees up to? Who are these players and what exactly escalated behind the scenes on Friday?

Gearrin, the 33-year-old RHP from Chattanooga, Tennessee, was recently acquired off waivers from the Seattle Mariners. To make room on the 40-man roster, the New York Yankees made an abrupt decision to release Domingo Acevedo and added Gearrin to the active roster. In doing so, RHP Jonathan Loaisiga was optioned down to improve on his craft in Scranton.

Just as I did with Trevor Rosenthal in a previous article, I want to examine Gearrin’s career numbers and better educate those who are not familiar with him. Gearrin has pitched for a number of organizations, including the Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers. While this may seem especially alarming, let’s dive into his stats before conveying a final conclusion.

The small sample size argument is in full effect. To limit this and accurately display what Gearrin is capable of, let’s focus on when he pitched for the Giants from 2015-2018. In his career with the Bay Area, Gearrin posted a 3.24 ERA, 3.83 FIP, and a 1.260 WHIP in 150 innings pitched. Taking into account his career numbers as a whole, he has accumulated a 3.59 ERA, 3.76 FIP and a 1.31 WHIP in 288 innings pitched. His career 0.65 HR/9 and 9.4 HR/FB rate are both excellent stats for Yankee Stadium. However, his 3.91 BB/9 and lack of velocity are not fantastic by any means.

There is good news in the story. Gearrin is expected to acquire a 3.59 BB/9 this season, which is a step in the right direction. Although this is just speculation and nothing to take with a grain of salt, Gearrin has the potential of producing quality outings with the Yanks. If he can find his groove with the sinker. which he has utilized about 53% of the time throughout his career, he will prove to be very sufficient and useful.

As far as Domingo Acevedo is concerned, he is a 25-year-old RHP from Villa Los Almacigos, Dominican Republic. Acevedo has been a part of the Yankees farm system since 2013, posting a 3.02 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in 7 seasons. Even though Acevedo has better numbers, he also has no experience in the majors. Will the deal work out in the end? Only the future will paint that picture. The signing itself can’t hurt the Yanks, especially since they’re in desperate need for pitchers who perform exceedingly well on a consistent basis.