Yankees rookie Luis Severino to debut against Red Sox

New York Yankees pitching prospect Luis Severino will make his major league debut tonight against the Boston Red Sox in New York. Here's a quick take on what to expect.

Luis Severino was signed by the Yankees as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2011. He signed for $225,000, a respectable bonus but not an elite one. He performed well in the Dominican Summer League in 2012, posting a 1.68 ERA with a 45/17 K/BB in 68 innings. He remained similarly effective in the Gulf Coast and South Atlantic Leagues in 2013, then broke out as one of the elite pitching prospects in baseball in '14, combining for a 2.46 ERA with a 127/27 K/BB in 113 innings at three levels, finishing with six strong starts in the Double-A Eastern League.

He returned to Trenton in 205 with a 3.32 ERA, 48/10 K/BB in 38 innings. Promoted to Triple-A Scranton in May, he's been dominant in the International League, going 7-0, 1.91 in 11 starts with a 50/17 K/BB in 61 innings, allowing only 40 hits. Obviously he has little left to prove in the minors; he fanned 10 with zero walks in six one-hit shutout innings in his last Scranton start.

Severino is a 6-0, 190 pound right-hander born February 20, 1994. Pre-season reports noted a 93-97 MPH (occasionally higher) fastball with an excellent change-up and an improving slider. Current reports are similar, and while the slider is still a third pitch for him, it has improved enough for him to manage Triple-A without difficulty. Indeed, steady improvement has been Severino's hallmark. As Kiley McDaniel noted this spring, Severino's mechanics were rather raw and his change-up seldom-used when he first came to rookie ball, but he's added considerable polish to his game over the last two years, with cleaner mechanics and a more diverse arsenal.

Some observers think Severino will be a reliever in the long run due to his lack of traditional right-hander height, but he looks like a starter to me. He has three quality pitches, he's a good athlete who has stayed healthy thus far, his command is solid enough, and he has the mound presence of a much more experienced pitcher.

No young pitcher comes with a guarantee, but Severino's sabermetric and traditional indicators are positive. It's time for him to get a shot.