New York Yankees: How Luis Severino is Training to Emerge as an Ace in 2019

The New York Yankees have a solid starting pitching rotation, but the primary issue is that none of the options seem to be the clear-cut ace. Both J.A. Happ and Luis Severino have performed extremely well at times, but an ace is a pitcher that, when called upon, provides stellar performances on a consistent basis.

The key word is consistency, and Severino lost his touch in the second half of 2018, sending his once impressive numbers into a tail-spin. Some believe he was tipping pitches, while others think his dropoff might have been due to an injury. The latter has proven to be false.

What is Luis Severino doing to take his game to the next level with the Yankees?

The predicted No.1 pitcher has tweaked his diet and offseason program in an attempt to eradicate any flaws in his game. Severino lost 12-15 pounds this winter with the help of the Yankees’ nutritionist. The plan is to lower his body weight and increase his stamina to help avoid fatigue towards the end of the season.

The program has included a lot more stretching and cardio with a decrease in weights. His strength is certainly not the issue, as he throws a consistent 96-98 mph fastball. Maintaining his current strength and refining his fundamentals with technique drills will likely be his focus this offseason.

Last season, he finished with a 3.39 ERA – recording 220 strikeouts and allowing 72 earned runs and 19 homers. His numbers saw a major dip after the All-Star break, but there’s no doubt Severino has Cy Young award potential after a phenomenal first half of the campagin.

The Yankees and Severino are still working on an extension:

The two parties have taken the player’s contract talks into arbitration. The meeting date has not been scheduled yet, but both sides have spoken about a potential multi-year deal. The talks are in the preliminary stages but it seems as if the Bombers are keen on keeping him in the Bronx.