SEVERINO SHOULD BE AN ALL-STAR!

Can you believe the All-Star game will be next month? I can't. It feels like the season is going by too fast. As we look ahead to the game next month we already know some of our Yankees like Aaron Judge and Starlin Castro are getting a lot of attention but there is one guy that isn't being mentioned yet and he should....

(June 9, 2017 - Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America)

Luis Severino is performing like an All-Star. He is pitching like an ace, so if he needs a campaign started to get him in the big game then this is a good place to start. Last season was ugly for him, spring training wasn't so kind to him and a lot of people thought he would be better suited in the bullpen. It's a good thing the Yankees didn't give up on a young 23 year old and just stick him in the bullpen. I love a great redemption story.

I knew Severino was doing well this season, but after looking at some stats it really shows you just how impressive he has been this year. Severino has numbers that are better than some of the aces on other teams so if that doesn't scream "All-Star" I don't know what does. Here are some numbers I found going into Sunday's games:

(April 25, 2017 - Source: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images North America)

1) 5th best AL pitcher with a 2.75 ERA - better than Chris Sale at 2.97 ERA

2) 6th in strikeouts - 84 total

3) 4th in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 4.66

4) 6th in strikeouts per 9 innings at 10.04

5) Highest fastball average out of ALL MLB starters at 97.2 mph

Saturday night made me look at Severino a little differently. He breezed through the Orioles lineup until the 5th inning. He made it look effortless as he retired the first 12 Orioles he faced striking out five of them. It's a Severino we haven't seen in a really long time and the stabilizing force in what was considered a very questionable rotation at the beginning of the year. All of the pressure was put on Masahiro Tanaka, but it has been Severino who has risen to the occasion and delivered.

Photo: Getty Images

Severino is on fire. He is undefeated in his last 7 starts and should be rewarded for that. In this case, I would say putting him in the bullpen for the American League All-Star team would be appropriate. He has helped lead the Yankees and keep them in first place in the AL East and would be an asset for the time honored All-Star edition.

I love to see these kind of redemption stories. It's hard to imagine Severino not on the All-Star team. The numbers speak for themselves. Severino has proven to be staple in the Yankees rotation going forward. His future not only includes a rotation spot for a potential playoff team, but hopefully also as a reliever in the American League bullpen next month. I like to think BIG here.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ