The Mets gave Luis Severino a “show-me” one-year, $13 million deal over the winter and he is certainly keeping up his end of the bargain.
After dealing with injury and pitch-tipping issues that brought his Yankees career to a disastrous and unceremonious end, posting a career-worst 6.65 ERA in 89.1 innings pitched last season, Severino is enjoying a renaissance of sorts across town in Queens.
It reached its crescendo on Saturday evening at Citi Field against the Miami Marlins as the 30-year-old right-hander pitched his first shutout since 2018, going nine scoreless innings while allowing just four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk on 113 pitches — the most in a single start since he threw 115 against the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 3, 2018.
The sterling start lowered his season ERA to 3.91 — nearly three runs better than his mark last season — to go with a 1.220 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 142.2 innings pitched.
If Saturday’s start did not provide enough encouragement, even more could be found in that he spun this sort of gem at this point in the season. Severino has not thrown this many innings in six years. In fact, he had pitched across the 100-inning threshold just once from 2019-2023 (102 in 2022).
“I’m proud of him because it hasn’t been easy,” Mendoza said. “Especially the past few years not only with injuries but last year, the year that he had. For him to come here and spend the offseason working on his body and learning about himself, and the willingness to learn the new technology and how his body moves, you have to give him credit. The work he has put in since Day 1 when he reported to camp… he’s been unbelievable.”
Mendoza and the Mets’ pitching lab has certainly done their part. The first-year skipper worked closely with Severino during his time with the Yankees. Both he and president of baseball operations David Stearns identified that there was still something left in the tank for a veteran righty who had been written off by his former club.
“He has given me a lot of confidence. Confidence in myself,” Severino said of Mendoza. “When he goes out there, the pep talks that he gives me, it’s different than everybody else. He knows me. He knows how I compete… 100% he helped me. He helped me grow up as a pitcher, as a human being. I’m happy he’s here.”
It certainly appears as though Severino is also happy to be a member of the Mets, though these kinds of outings will only add a few more dollars to his next contract when he hits free agency this winter — and there will undeniably be numerous suitors checking in on him even if he is not the marquee ace he was at the beginning of his career in the Bronx.
Still, the Mets have helped Severino become a serviceable pitcher once again, which is imperative for their playoff hopes as we near the home stretch of the 2024 season.
“He’s in a territory where he hasn’t been in a few years now,” Mendoza said. “We will continue to monitor him and we will continue to take care of him.”
