Severino is flying through the system this year!
Well, that didn't take long. After only four starts with the High-A Tampa Yankees, the Yankees have promoted 20-year-old righty Luis Severino to Double-A Trenton, per Baseball America writer Josh Norris:
Finally got it confirmed: Luis Severino has been promoted to Double-A Trenton and will pitch Saturday. #Yankees
— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) July 15, 2014Severino cracked the Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America midseason Top 50 Prospects lists, he pitched a scoreless frame in the Futures Game for the World Team (striking out top prospect Joey Gallo in the process), and his stock just keeps on rising. He began the year in Low-A Charleston, where he pitched to a 2.79 ERA, 2.80 FIP, and 1.064 WHIP in 14 starts (67 2/3 IP), fanning 9.3 batters per nine innings and walking just 2.0 per nine. While he was there, Norris took the following YouTube video (please disregard Eduardo de Oleo crying for his bottle during the warmup):
Nasty. Not long after that start, Severino was promoted to Tampa, where he was even better. Although it was just four starts and about 21 innings, he pitched to a microscopic 1.31 ERA and 1.52 FIP, posting crazy rate stat marks of 12.2 K/9 and 0.823 WHIP (along with a fine 2.6 BB/9). That was apparently enough for the Yankees' front office, and Severino will now be pitching for Trenton on Saturday in Binghamton.
Severino entered the season with some acclaim from ESPN and scouts, and it's wonderful to see a prospect performing so well that it actually prompts the Yankees to promote him quickly. They don't do that very often, so Severino must seriously be impressing them. Keep it going, Luis!
Update
“@bednarz42: @jnorris427 it appears jake cave is on the same flight as severino.” //Indeed and deserved.
— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) July 16, 2014Jake Cave has been promoted to Trenton as well! The sixth round pick from 2011 was hitting very well in Tampa, batting .304/.354/.395 with 25 extra-base hits and a 119 wRC+ in 90 games. He's made great progress since missing most of his first two professional seasons due to injury, and the lefthanded hitter is still only 21.