Yankees’ Aaron Boone raves about SP Clarke Schmidt: ‘He has a presence to him’

New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt
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

New York Yankees‘ Clarke Schmidt is a pitcher whose stock has risen in the last year and has turned lots of heads in the organization. He is finally getting attention from the higher-ups and has a chance to prove something in the coming weeks. 

Before the intrasquad game yesterday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone shared in a media interview how much he loves SP Clarke Schmidt. He talked about how impressed he was after seeing him pitch up close in Spring Training and seems to have high hopes for the young pitcher.

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Manager Aaron Boone raved about the young arm

Boone seems to have trust in the young star. In the interview, Boone says that his pitch repertoire is “excellent” and says his “athleticism on the mound allows him to have a real clean delivery.” Adding on, he talks about his attitude and how “he has a presence to him” saying that “he believes he belongs here.” 

Boone notices Schmidt as a very determined person and states “he came in highly touted” and “looked the part” in Spring Training. Boone finishes by saying they  “certainly are excited about his development so far” and that he is “looking forward to seeing him go out and start building.”

Schmidt pitched the first and second inning of last night’s intrasquad game and was lights out. He struck out some big-name players like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on nasty breaking balls. Boone and the rest of the coaches seemed really pleased with Schmidt’s performance. 

Clarke showed promising numbers last season. He pitched in 19 games last year and finished with 3.47 ERA. He struck 102 batters out in 90.2 innings and had a BB/9 of 2.8. Schmidt then received an invite to Spring Training in 2020. He appeared in 4 games and had a 2.57 ERA in 7 innings of work. 

Clarke Schmidt is currently ranked as the 88th best prospect in the MLB and 2nd in the Yankees organization. He still has a lot to prove but is someone to keep your eye on in Summer Camp.