With Wieters on DL, Severino ready to take over as top catcher

PHOENIX - For several years, Pedro Severino has been waiting for an opportunity to show the Nationals what he can do catching in the big leagues on a regular basis. And for several years, the Nats have been intrigued at the prospect of Severino playing on a regular basis but unwilling to go all-in on him while trying to contend for a title.

They have no choice but to find out now. With Matt Wieters on the disabled list and expected to miss significant time with a strained hamstring, Severino has ascended to the No. 1 catching job on this roster, and nobody else is about to leapfrog him.

"He's going to be our starting catcher now for a while," ace Max Scherzer said. "This is his opportunity to show the world how good he is."

Those who have spent time with Severino for the last few seasons have no doubt he's ready for the assignment. This is, after all, a guy who was thrust into the lineup for Game 1 of the National League Division Series as a 23-year-old after Wilson Ramos tore his ACL during the final week of the 2016 regular season.

"I love pitching to him," Scherzer said. "I love him back there. I love his energy. He does some great stuff. He's got great instincts back there, and we're really getting on the same page of how we want to take a scouting report and implement it."

Severino has always had the natural gifts, both behind the plate and at the plate, to be a top catching prospect. It's his increased attention to game preparation, though, that has most impressed the Nationals this season and leave them believing he's now ready to take over.

"When he came back from Syracuse, the way that he's thrown himself into his preparation, watching film and going through the scouting reports, I'll tell you what, as a pitching staff it's been amazing to see his commitment to that," closer Sean Doolittle said.

"He has a really thorough, thought-out plan of how he wants to attack these hitters based on everybody's repertoire. That's the kind of stuff that instills trust between a pitcher and a catcher. That was one really good thing that Matty brought to the table, how good he was at handling the staff. And I think Sevy's learned a lot from him."

Severino has made a point to pay extra attention on nights he has watched from the bench while Wieters catches.

"When I don't play, and when I play, I've got all the computer with the video from the year before: 2017, 2016, 2015," he said. "So everything I see over there, I just have to take it over. I take the good points in all the video. After that, I got a better idea and try to give it to my pitchers and do a great job in the game."

It's not easy for a 24-year-old who has started only 32 major league games to earn the trust of a pitching staff that includes a three-time Cy Young Award winner, two others who received Cy Young votes last season, one of the sport's most effective closers and a 37-year-old reliever with two World Series rings.

Severino, though, has never lacked for confidence. And the more time he has spent working with those elite pitchers, the more confident he has become in his ability to handle this staff.

"I got a better idea in what I do," he said. "This year, I got a better idea, offense, catching. It's worked for me, and I do a great job right now."