Mets’ Luis Severino Reveals Reason Behind Success in 2024

The former Yankees' starter is putting together his best season since 2018.

Sep 2, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino (40) pitches in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / wendell cruz-usa today sports

When right-handed starter Luis Severino signed a one-year, $13 million contract this past offseason, it was viewed as a low-risk, high-reward move for the New York Mets.

As the regular season nears its end, most would agree the partnership has far exceeded expectations — and no one feels that more strongly than Severino. 

On Monday night, Severino took the mound for the Mets in front of a playoff-like atmosphere at Citi Field. Big games against the Red Sox are nothing new for the former Yankees ace, who spent eight seasons in pinstripes before joining their cross-town rival. But this game was different; the stakes were less about settling bad blood between longtime enemies and more about the playoff implications for two separate leagues. A win for the Mets would pull them within a half-game of the Braves for the final NL Wild Card spot, while the Red Sox were battling to stay alive in the AL race. 

Severino pitched seven innings of one-run ball, holding Boston's lineup to six hits and two walks, while striking out five. After tossing 100 pitches, the 30-year-old exited to a standing ovation from Mets fans, delivering exactly what the club needed in a must-win game. His performance earned him the win in a 4-1 victory, positioning New York to potentially overtake the Braves in the standings on Tuesday. 

Going into 2024, there were legitimate concerns about the Mets relying on Severino as one of their top starters, despite his past success. He was coming off a season hampered by lat and oblique injuries, during which he made 18 starts and posted a 6.65 ERA. His injury history goes well beyond that, though. Since his 2018 All-Star season with the Yankees, when he went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 191.1 innings, Severino had appeared in just 45 games over the next five seasons. During that time, he dealt with a right rotator cuff strain in 2019, followed by Tommy John surgery in 2020. He surpassed the 100-inning mark only once over that span, with 102 innings in 2022. 

Monday night’s start marked Severino’s 27th of the 2024 season; in those outings, he is 10-6 with a 3.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and a 7.7 K/9 rate over 159.1 innings — a number that even catches Severino by surprise.

“If you asked me in Spring Training if I was going to be 150 innings right now, I’d say no chance,” Severino told the media during his postgame interview.

He credited Mets' head athletic trainer Joseph Golia and nutritionist Jeremy Chiang for keeping him healthy, which has been the key to his impressive bounce-back season.

"If you asked me in Spring Training if I was going to be 150 innings right now, I'd say no chance"

Luis Severino credits the Mets staff for keeping him healthy this season pic.twitter.com/VEHTrdYdHt

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2024

Severino is set to return to free agency when his one-year "prove-it" deal expires at the end of the season. After demonstrating he can stay healthy and still pitch at a high level in 2024, the right-hander will likely have an opportunity to secure a long-term contract, whether that is with the Mets or another team. Two of New York’s other starters, Sean Manaea and José Quintana, are also set to hit the open market, and with rumors connecting the Mets to other big-name arms like Corbin Burnes, the team will surely face some significant financial decisions. 

In the meantime, Severino’s focus remains solely on helping his current team reach the postseason. After being four games out of a wild-card spot just a week ago, the Mets are now within striking distance of the final spot with 24 games remaining. Severino compared the atmosphere of these recent games to the September and October contests he experienced with the Yankees, praising Mets fans for their energy down the stretch. 

“The fans are doing a great job,” Severino said on Monday. “They’ve been really good to me, and hopefully we keep winning games and make the playoffs so I can feel that [atmosphere] in the playoffs.”