New York Mets Pitcher Luis Severino Takes Shot at Former New York Yankees Teammates

Luis Severino is slated to start against the Miami Marlins on Sunday, meaning he won't get to face his former team when the New York Mets take on the New York Yankees next week.

Jul 5, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino (40) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Luis Severino spent 12 years in the New York Yankees organization before heading across town in free agency this past offseason.

Severino has been putting up solid numbers with the New York Mets in 2024, bouncing back from a tough 2023. His 6-3 record, 3.78 ERA, 1.195 WHIP and 1.2 WAR may not be enough to satisfy the 30-year-old right-hander, though.

After all, the Mets are scheduled to take on the Yankees in the Bronx next week, and Severino is not scheduled to start in the series. Instead, he'll be taking the mound against the Miami Marlins on Sunday, then getting the Subway Series off.

Severino also missed out on facing the Yankees in June, meaning he won't get to face his former squad at all this regular season. As a result, Severino's old teammates are trash talking him in their group chat, accusing him of dodging the matchup.

In response to the jabs, Severino took a big swing at the Yankees in a press conference Friday.

"They talk sh*t about me when I face the Yankees – 'Oh, you're afraid of us,'" Severino said. "But I say, like, 'I'm not afraid of you guys. Right now, you only have two good hitters."

Severino said that he hopes to face the Yankees in the future, and given his recent comments, the Bronx Bombers would surely love to get the chance to tee off on the righty as well.

Luis Severino is in a group chat with some members of the Yankees that told him he was "afraid of them" after not starting in the first Subway Series at Citi Field. Severino's response?

"I'm not afraid of you guys. Right now, you only have two good hitters." pic.twitter.com/ND9234kDM8

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 19, 2024

As much as Severino may have been joking around, his observation wasn't completely off-base.

Aaron Judge is a leading candidate to win AL MVP, and offseason trade addition Juan Soto isn't far behind. They have 47 home runs and 151 RBI between them, on top of a .301 combined batting average and a 1.005 combined OPS.

Beyond the pair of elite outfielders, though, the Yankees' lineup has a lot of holes at the moment.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton are both on the injured list. Left fielder Alex Verdugo, shortstop Anthony Volpe, second baseman Gleyber Torres, third baseman DJ LeMahieu and catcher Austin Wells all have batting averages under .246 and OPS under .688.

Severino may be selling rookie first baseman Ben Rice and his .809 OPS a bit short, but that is based off a sample of just 24 games, and he is batting just .228 regardless.

In his own Yankees career, Severino went 54-37 with a 3.79 ERA, 1.185 WHIP and an 11.9 WAR. He made two All-Star Games and placed top-10 in AL Cy Young voting twice.

New York never won anything beyond a division title when Severino was wearing pinstripes, and the team's AL-worst 8-18 record since June 15 suggests that might not change in 2024. The Mets, meanwhile, are an NL-best 25-11 since June 3.

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