Luis Severino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Luis Severino |
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Severino with the Mets in 2024
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| Athletics – No. 40 | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: February 20, 1994 Sabana de la Mar, Dominican Republic |
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| debut | |||
| August 5, 2015, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics (through July 5, 2025) |
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| Win–loss record | 67–54 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.97 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,022 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Luis Severino, often called "Sevy", is a professional baseball pitcher. He was born in the Dominican Republic on February 20, 1994. He currently plays for the Athletics in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Athletics, he played for the New York Yankees and New York Mets.
Severino joined the Yankees in 2011 as a young player from another country. He made his first appearance in MLB in 2015. After a tough year in 2016, he became one of the best pitchers in the league in 2017. He was chosen as an All-Star that year and again in 2018. Sadly, he missed many games from 2019 to 2021 because of injuries. Severino joined the Mets after the 2023 season and then the Athletics after the 2024 season.
Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Luis Severino signed with the New York Yankees on December 26, 2011. He received a $225,000 bonus to join the team. He had actually planned to sign with the Colorado Rockies. But a Yankees scout convinced him to play for his favorite team.
When he first started, his fastball could reach 91 miles per hour. He began his professional career in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) in 2012. He won 4 games and lost 2, with a 1.68 earned run average (ERA). He also had 45 strikeouts in 14 games.
In 2013, he started with the DSL Yankees. Later that year, he moved up to the Charleston RiverDogs. His fastball speed increased to 97 miles per hour. He finished that year with 4 wins and 2 losses, and a 2.45 ERA.
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Before the 2014 season, Baseball America said he was the Yankees' ninth-best young player. Severino played for Charleston, then moved to the Tampa Yankees. He was even picked to play in the 2014 All-Star Futures Game. After that, he moved up again to the Trenton Thunder. In 2014, he had 6 wins and 5 losses, a 2.46 ERA, and 127 strikeouts.
In 2015, experts ranked Severino as the best young player in the Yankees' system. He started the 2015 season with Trenton. He had 2 wins and 2 losses, with a 3.32 ERA. He then moved up to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. There, he improved his pitching style. He won 7 games and lost none, with a 1.91 ERA.
Playing for the New York Yankees
First MLB Season: 2015
Luis Severino made his MLB debut on August 5, 2015. He pitched against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. He was the youngest pitcher to start a game in the 2015 MLB season. In his first game, he pitched five innings. He allowed only two hits and one earned run. He also struck out seven batters without walking any.
He finished his first season with 11 starts. He had 5 wins and 3 losses, a 2.89 ERA, and 56 strikeouts.
A Challenging Year: 2016
Severino started the 2016 season as a pitcher for the Yankees. On May 13, he left a game early due to an injury. He was then placed on the disabled list. He returned in July and mostly pitched as a reliever. A reliever is a pitcher who comes into the game after the starting pitcher.
He finished 2016 with 3 wins and 8 losses, and a 5.83 ERA. As a starter, he struggled, but as a reliever, he was very good. He had 3 wins and no losses with a 0.39 ERA when pitching in relief.
Becoming an All-Star: 2017
In 2017, Severino became the Yankees' fourth starting pitcher. On April 13, he struck out 11 batters, a new personal best. He continued to pitch very well. On May 24, he pitched eight innings without allowing any runs.
He was chosen for the American League All-Star team. This was his first All-Star selection. In the first half of 2017, he had 5 wins and 4 losses, with a 3.54 ERA. He also had 124 strikeouts.
Severino continued his strong performance in the second half of the season. He won 9 games and lost 2, with a 2.28 ERA. He finished the season with 14 wins and 6 losses. His ERA was 2.98, and he had 230 strikeouts. He was one of the best pitchers in the league. He was even a finalist for the Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher.
Another All-Star Season: 2018
Severino was named the Yankees' Opening Day starter in 2018. On May 2, he pitched his first complete game shutout. This means he pitched the entire game and didn't allow any runs. He struck out 10 batters in that game.
He had a fantastic first half of 2018. He won 14 games and lost only 2, with a 2.31 ERA. He was selected for the 2018 MLB All-Star Game, his second time in a row. He was the first Yankees pitcher since 1969 to have 14 wins before the All-Star break.
He finished the 2018 season with 19 wins and 8 losses, and a 3.39 ERA. For the second year in a row, his fastball was the fastest among all MLB pitchers, averaging 97.6 miles per hour.
Dealing with Injuries: 2019-2021
In February 2019, Severino signed a four-year contract with the Yankees. However, he faced many injuries. He was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation in March 2019. Then, he had a muscle strain that kept him out for more weeks. He only made three starts in the 2019 regular season.
In February 2020, it was announced that Severino needed Tommy John surgery on his elbow. This surgery meant he would miss the entire 2020 season. He had the surgery on February 27.
He continued to recover from surgery in 2021. He suffered a groin injury during a rehab game in June. He had another setback in August. Finally, on September 20, 2021, he was activated from the injured list. This was after 706 days.
Return to Pitching: 2022
In 2022, Severino became the longest-tenured Yankee player. He was placed on the injured list again with a lat strain. On October 4, he pitched seven innings without allowing any hits against the Texas Rangers. His manager took him out of the game after 94 pitches. The Rangers then got a hit in the eighth inning, ending the chance for a combined no-hitter.
Challenges in 2023
In 2023, Severino had a difficult season. He had 4 wins and 8 losses, with a 6.65 ERA. He pitched in 19 games. On September 9, his season ended early due to an oblique muscle strain. After the season, he became a free agent.
Playing for the New York Mets
On December 1, 2023, Severino signed a one-year contract with the New York Mets. On August 17, 2024, he pitched his second career complete game. He shut out the Miami Marlins 4–0. This was his first complete game shutout since 2018.
He played 32 games for the Mets. He had 11 wins and 7 losses, with a 3.91 ERA. He also had 161 strikeouts. After the 2024 season, he became a free agent again.
Joining the Athletics
On December 6, 2024, Luis Severino signed a three-year contract with the Athletics. This was the largest contract in the team's history.
How Severino Pitches
Luis Severino uses a special way of throwing the ball. He throws four main pitches:
- A four-seam fastball that averages 98 miles per hour. In 2017, it was clocked at 101 mph!
- A slider, which is a pitch that moves sideways.
- A changeup, which looks like a fastball but is slower.
- A cutter, which he added in 2022.
His slider was ranked as one of the best in MLB in 2018.
Personal Life
Luis Severino grew up in Sabana de la Mar, Dominican Republic. He was a big fan of the Yankees, especially fellow Dominican player Robinson Canó. Luis is married to Rosmaly. They have a daughter, born in July 2015, and a son, Luis Jr., born in July 2021.
See also
In Spanish: Luis Severino para niños
