After looking like a serious Cy Young Award contender before the All-Star break, Luis Severino sputtered in the second half of the season. He seemed to be on the rebound at the end of September, winning his final two starts, and finishing the year with a career-high 19 victories.
Still, with his struggles lasting nearly two months, along with the dominance of J.A. Happ, questions remained about whether Severino would be chosen to start the American League Wild Card Game for the second straight year. Initially slated to take his regular turn on Sunday at Fenway Park, the outing was scratched the day before.