Feb 16, 2020; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt (86) pitches during a live batting practice at spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The season-ending injury to New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino has significant consequences. Finding a fifth starter would be problematic for any other team, but the Yankees have a profound prospect system and made the intelligent decision to retain J.A. Happ.
With James Paxton also expected to miss at least two months after having a cyst removed from his lower back, Jordan Montgomery will have to fill the void and claim the No. 4 spot in the rotation.
Initially, I expected the Yankees to utilize a three-man rotation for the fifth spot in the unit, but after seeing Clark Schmidt, one of the Yankees top youth pitching prospects, dominate on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays, my opinion has changed slightly.
Schmidt dominated in the minors last year, posting a 2.37 ERA in AA Trenton, while only pitching in 19 innings. In High A Tampa, he pitched 63.1 innings and logged a 3.84 ERA.
2019 Season Statistics:
GCL Yankees East: 8.1 IP, 3.24 ERA, 2.79 FIP, 1.080 WHIP, 15.12 K/9, 3.24 BB/9, 1.08 HR/9
High-A Tampa Tarpons: 63.1 IP, 3.84 ERA, 2.87 FIP, 1.311 WHIP, 9.81 K/9, 3.41 BB/9, 0.28 HR/9
Double-A Trenton Thunder: 19 IP, 2.37 ERA, 2.01 FIP, 0.789 WHIP, 9 K/9, 0.47 BB/9, 0.47 HR/9
According to The Athletic’s Keith Law, Schmidt is the Yankees’ top-rated prospect. He struck out three batters and allowed two hits over two innings pitched against the Rays on Thursday. While the 24-year-old has yet to make his MLB debut, he finished the 2019 season with a 2-0 record in Trenton.
Some say it is unlikely that Schmidt will make a significant impact on the 2020 season, but he utilized impressive offspeed pitches during his outing against Tampa Bay. His high strikeout rate and ability to generate ground balls rank among his greatest strengths. This also looks very good in Yankee Stadium. While consistency has been an issue at times for Schmidt, he has plenty of time to refine his abilities before the beginning of the season.
The Yankees do have Michael King, Jonathan Loaisiga, and other more experienced pitchers as options to fill the No. 5 spot. However, I wouldn’t toss Schmidt aside just yet, especially after such an impressive outing. Keep an eye on him as the pre-season progresses.
This post was published on 2020-02-28 07:25
