'Yankees Fan' Luis Severino Excited To Face His Former Team

It's been a wild series on the West Coast for the New York Yankees.

This isn't the same Athletics franchise that many might remember, as their move from Oakland to Sacramento is now the last thing people are discussing when it comes to this team.

The Athletics are filled with young, rising stars, and that was on full display during Game 2 of this weekend set on Saturday.

After the Yankees dominated the opener, they ultimately lost to the upstart Athletics in the high-scoring second game by a score of 11-7, where a late explosion in the seventh and eighth innings doomed New York's pitching staff.

Now, the stage is set for the rubber match on Sunday, and a familiar face will be toeing the rubber for the opposing team.

Luis Severino will pitch against the Yankees for the first time since the two sides parted ways after the 2023 season when New York let their longest-tenured player hit the open market and sign with their crosstown rivals.

At the time, it was understandable.

Severino was plagued with injuries and inconsistent play, and it wasn't clear what version the Yankees would get if they brought him back.

Unfortunately for New York, the right-hander looks like his former ace self.

Severino had a 3.91 ERA in 31 starts with the Mets last year, and after hitting the open market this past offseason where he signed a lucrative three-year, $67 million contract with the Athletics, he's taken his game to another level with a 3.62 ERA in eight starts.

He'll have the opportunity to secure a series win against his former team on Sunday, and it's a matchup he's looking forward to.

"I'm pretty excited about facing the Yankees," he said to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. "I'm trying to figure out what to throw [Aaron] Judge ... I'm going to bring everything I have out there."

What makes this matchup that much more interesting, besides the fact that he's facing the franchise that signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2011, is that he grew up a Yankees fan.

"I love it there. Even growing up, I was a Yankees fan. I'm still a Yankees fan. I love those guys. They made me the pitcher I am, the man I am right now," Severino stated.

It doesn't sound like there are any hard feelings about how things ended.

Still, there's no doubt that Severino would love to have a great performance in his first outing against his former club.

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