New York Mets’ Luis Severino Impresses, Japanese Bullpen Addition’s Buzz Grows as Spring Debut Nears

The New York Mets’ pitcher Luis Severino’s velocity can barely matched by the hurdles posed by the injuries encountered so far. As the previous few years were full of challenges for the outstanding pitcher due to his long list of injuries, fans have been waiting to re-encounter his former form. And seemingly their wait is about to cease soon as the pitcher has already introduced a bang in his spring training days.

During a phase where every team is struggling for the starting pitchers given the increasing injury cases, the Mets are about to find the most cherished form of one of their exceptional pitchers, Severino, after signing him for one year with $13 million this offseason. Now, as he is coming out of his cocoon ahead of the regular season, the team is getting enough reason to invest their faith in him.

Luis Severino continues to showcase supremacy

Recently, the Mets’ Will Sammon and Tim Britton unveiled their Pandora’s box to answer the question posed by their fans. During the event, they spoke highly about the pitcher, remarking that the industry cherishes the one-year deal with Severino, given his form in spring training. The Friday game saw his pitching speed reaching 98 miles per hour, indicating a groundbreaking opening day. In a similar context, the pitcher remarked, “I’m just trying to do the same movement with every pitch,” demonstrating his refined confidence after losing some significant years earlier.

The 2017-18 saw the best form the Severino as he became one of the top four pitchers to win considerable games over that stretch. Apart from that, he also entered the top few pitchers list to have 300 innings in the two seasons. Then, the injury struck him to rob his form, as he only pitched 18 innings from 2019 to 2021. To add to his misery, he even underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2022 after having a long list of shoulder, elbow, and lat injuries. Consequently, the same season saw him entering the worst pitchers list of the season with a merely 6.65 ERA on 19 occasions.

Read More: As Mets’ Luis Severino Threatens an All-Star Return, Will the Yankees Regret Letting Him Go?

But the cloud of looming danger has probably passed away as current spring training saw him becoming one of the biggest challenges for their opponent with the tremendous velocity in his swings. In a similar context, the team’s pitching coach stated, “He’s done it before.” He further added, “He knows what it feels like. So now it’s just building him up,” highlighting their invested faith in him. Though the scorching 3-2 defeat made the Mets focus on their form even more ahead of the opening day, Luis Severino seems to be preparing to appear starting pitcher to prove his on-field strength.

But the team is not putting all their eggs in one basket. And it seems they have some else besides Severino as well who can help them become better.

The rumors are buzzing around concerning the Mets’ bullpen

As the opening day draws near, the team is bracing themselves with all their might to appear even stronger. And their inclusion of the Japanese fireballer Shintaro Fujinami just adds an extra brick to their bridge.

After struggling with his rookie performance in the previous seasons, the 29-year-old seems more prepared this year with exceptional velocity in his fastball around 100 mph. The right-hander Japanese pitcher signed a one-year deal with the Mets for $3.35 million, and ever since, he has provided the team with enough scope to rejoice in their decision. The pitching coach, Jeremy Hefner, addressed him as an “All-Star closer,” indicating favorable news for him regarding the bullpen position of the team.

Besides, as he is preparing himself to snatch a position in the bullpen, the SNY’s Danny Abriano revealed that “The hard-throwing right-hander has been preparing for his first game action of the spring, which is set for Thursday. ‘He’s been throwing some long bullpens, up to like 40 pitches,” adding depth to the rumors regarding his appearance.

Read More: New York Mets’ 2024 Already in Trouble? Kodai Senga Injury Setback and Pete Alonso Uncertainty Threaten Upcoming Season