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<> of the Atlanta Braves New York Yankees inning during the game against the New York Yankees Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on August 29, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jagged Little Hill: Length is more from Sev

Ignoring the extended Alanis Morissette pun I legitimately couldn’t resist titling this article, there’s a serious point to be made.

It may sound aggressive, but it’s true: if Luis Severino is to take a real step forward in 2016, he’ll need to learn to manage the force of his fastball and consistently provide length. The kid gloves must come off at some point. It’s blunt, but that’s Major League baseball. By year’s end, the “complete games” total cannot be a null set.

And I’m not restricting this judgment simply to Severino. His name just allowed me to force the headline to sound the way I wanted it to. Because I’m the worst.

This is about Nathan Eovaldi. And Michael Pineda. And Masahiro, bless his soul. It’s not about CC, he can do whatever. And it’s about how seemingly every elite pitcher who faces the Yankees can make it through seven innings hovering in the low 90s, pitch count-wise, and every Yankee hurler is max effort into the bottom of the sixth, and halfway into a jelly donut by the seventh.

When every pitcher in every rotation spot grinds himself into a nub by the time the order rolls around a third time, every time out, that turns a significant bullpen advantage into a bullpen oxygen tank. Dellin Betances’ fumes last September were enough to asphyxiate Chasen Shreve based on proximity alone. Betances allowed a run in the Wild Card Game because of course he did because by that point he might as well have been the Michelin Man. No tread on those tires.

It’s not simply about strategizing or scolding. Every pitcher knows length is the goal, and yet time and time again, progress is impeded by a long series of foul liners. It’s not that everyone is Phil Hughes. It’s not a full-blown outbreak of Hughes-itis. It’s simply that no one yet excels at a skill that every Major League rotation should really contain. At least one member.

I would’ve loved to pencil Doug Fister into the five spot this offseason for that reason alone. It’s no Greek Tragedy they were unable to ink him, but it would’ve been nice. Instead, it’s time to seek development from the already-existing arms.

It must be collective, accepted mindset. They need to practice what they preach. At some point Michael Pineda, already slightly diminished due to shoulder issues, mustn’t nip at the corners. He needs to attack them with gusto. He can will a grounder whenever he needs to with that slider. Nathan Eovaldi can, too. Grounders should be second nature to Nasty Nate, and yet, here we are with more elevation and liners. 2016 is the year to fix this.

In a season where rotation depth is already stretched as taut as it can possibly go, a world where Bryan Mitchell yanked his toe at the wrong angle and disappeared like a magic trick, the Yankees can’t afford to weather the bullpen in the early months. Ivan Nova is, frankly, key. If he can eat innings repeatedly and reliably, he can coax Miller, Betances, and Shreve to the finish line like they’re in a hyperbaric chamber. The bullpen is the largest advantage this team possesses over its competition, and yet, the subpar starting pitching must be on the mound for more and more innings for that advantage to truly present itself in August, September, and October.

Isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think?