Yankees Luis Severino, Giancarlo Stanton and something special going on

The Yankees still have not gotten all they want out of free-agent LF/DH Giancarlo Stanton. But when RHP Luis Severino starts, something special happens to Stanton.

The Yankees are just about at the 40-game mark (27-12). This is, for me, the first time numbers become meaningful, although they can still change quite a bit. It was one year ago today that Baltimore was still tied for first in the AL East, after all; they finished in last.

However, one-quarter of the season is enough time to start serious evaluations. And make some projections that might, or might not, come true.

For instance, right now, Gary Sanchez is on pace to hit 40 home runs and drive in 120. That would make him the best power-hitting catcher in baseball. If Aaron Judge also continues as he has, the Yankees are going to have a great year.

Right now Judge is projected to hit 44 home runs and collect 136 RBI. If he keeps his slash anywhere close to where it is now–.306/.436/.597–Aaron will be on an MVP pace.

Not so Giancarlo Stanton. The man is the picture of a world-class athlete but his box is not that of a reigning MVP. Or future one. Not that a projection of 36 home runs and 92 RBI is bad; it’s just not what a team expects when it takes on the biggest contract in baseball.

Still, Stanton has played great and his hits have helped the Yankees win some big games…games that were started by Luis Severino.

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The Sevvie Effect

In games in which the Ace of baseball with his 2.11 ERA and 0.87 WHIP have started, Stanton has been a different player. And if the Yanks could get that version of Giancarlo every game, he’d be better than Babe Ruth.

It started in the very first game of the season. Stanton went three-for-five against the Blue Jays, his three hits being two home runs and double. He drove in four that day as the Bombers prevailed 6-1 in a sure sign of things to come.

Five games later Stanton was back at it again, this time against another division rival, Tampa. Supporting Sevvie with just one hit, but that one hit a homer, Stanton drove in two of the teams seven runs that day in another Yankees victory, 7-2.

It’s been like that for this entire short season. Severino’s next start was a loss to the Sox in Fenway. Stanton, however, collected two hits including a double. He scored a run in the next Sevvie start, then had a rare o-fer, which he followed with a hit and a walk.

Can Severino Start Every Day?

However, in Severino’s last two starts, Stanton has picked up the pace. When Severino shut out the Astros on May 2nd in Houston (4-0), Giancarlo was also so good, non si pue de parlo.

As he did in his first game of the season, Stanton once again picked up three hits, with two more home runs and another double. Only this time he was the entire offense as he drove in all four while personally scoring two.

Five days later at home against Boston, Sevvie wasn’t as sharp, but Stanton was. For the third time in eight Luis Severino starts, Stanton once again hit two home runs. And to maintain his stat line, he manufactured a double by walking and later stealing second.

His two runs driven in and two runs scored were the deciding factors in the Yanks 3-2 victory.

Giancarlo Stanton has so far hit nine home runs for the Yankees; seven of those have come in those eight Severino starts. And six in three games. He has eight doubles in 39 games played; three of them have come supporting Sevvie, as have half of his stolen bases.

The man is only batting .232/.324/.477; what would those numbers be without his best three Severino games? Clearly there is something special going on here.

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What that means today or for the rest of the year I don’t know. But the pairing of Severino and Stanton has brought out the best in Giancarlo. Add that to the fact that he has so far been a Dallas Keuchel and in general Red Sox killer, and his contract looks better all the time.

If that continues, the Yankees are going to have a very good year.