Luis Severino caught the attention of a division rival.
Severino, one of the Yankees’ best pitching prospects in years, shined Wednesday in his major league debut despite New York’s 2-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. His performance, while not enough to earn a win, wasn’t lost on his opponents. The Red Sox walked away very impressed.
“That young kid, he’s got good stuff, man,” David Ortiz told reporters in the Bronx after the game. “I think he’s going to be pretty good. He’s got a good fastball, he’s got the cutter, the changeup. I think early in the game, he was kind of missing location a little bit, but other than that, his stuff is very explosive.”
Severino allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits over five innings. He struck out seven and didn’t walk anyone, making for an historical debut, even if the result wasn’t what the 21-year-old envisioned.
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Ortiz provided one of Boston’s two hits against Severino. He absolutely demolished a 2-0 fastball located on the inner half of the plate, sending it over the right field fence for a solo homer in the fourth inning.
The blast gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead at the time, which was all Boston needed on a night when Steven Wright dazzled for eight innings before handing things over to the always reliable Koji Uehara.
“Severino’s got electric-type stuff and (Ortiz) gets a 2-0 fastball that David is probably sitting on with the way he squared it up,” Red Sox manager John Farrell told reporters. “But we don’t leave New York without David going deep one time. Just put a beautiful swing on the pitch.
“But there’s no question we’ll see Severino a lot for years to come. That’s a good-looking young pitcher.”
Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart praised Severino’s composure, according to Newsday.
Boston outfielder Hanley Ramirez reportedly called the young righty a “talented ballplayer.”
“He looked like he’s been pitching for a while,” Jackie Bradley Jr. said of the rookie, per NJ.com.
The Red Sox clearly think very highly of the up-and-coming hurler. And they better get used to seeing him, because the kid showed exactly why there’s so much hype surrounding his arrival in New York.
Thumbnail photo via Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports Images
