The Yankees could get a huge reinforcement back on their pitching staff with Clarke Schmidt as he’s set to begin a rehab assignment on Friday. With Luis Gil hitting the IL with a back injury, the rotation needs all the help they can get, and the right-hander is going to ramp up to 50 pitches in his first start. It’s unclear how many starts the Yankees will have Schmidt make before he returns to the team, but this is an encouraging piece of news still considering how well he threw the ball when healthy.
Across 11 starts he pitched to a 2.52 ERA with a 3.52 FIP, as he struck out 67 batters and only walked 20 in the process. It could be a monumental addition to this pitching staff, especially if the Yankees decide to shift one of their starters into a bullpen role.
Clarke Schmidt Set To Begin A Rehab Assignment Friday, Expected to Work Up to 50 Pitches
This was supposed to be a breakout season for Clarke Schmidt, who was in his second season as a full-time starter for the Yankees. It started out wonderfully for the 2017 first-round pick, as Schmidt was throwing more cutters and breaking balls, resulting in even more strikeouts and less damage contact. The biggest problem that Clarke Schmidt had last season was against left-handed batters, who hit .303 against him with a .500 SLG%.
With better command of his cutter and the usage of his two brilliant breaking balls, Clarke Schmidt has held them to a .208 AVG while striking out over 33.6% of lefties. His Stuff+ had increased from 102 to 115 thanks to the improvement to his cutter, and he could be a real weapon for this pitching staff down the stretch. The bullpen has been a concern for the Yankees, and there’s some speculation that Schmidt could serve that role for them if he were to return, but he might be most valuable as a starter.
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Before hitting the injured list, Clarke Schmidt decreased his sinker usage in an attempt to try and miss more bats, which resulted in a 1.09 ERA and over 6 IP per start over his last four appearances before hitting the IL. There’s a lot to like with Clarke Schmidt as a starting pitcher, having both the stuff and command to attack all sides of the plate and punch batters out at a high clip.
Clarke Schmidt has three different pitches with a Whiff Rate above 30% with his cutter, sweeper, and curveball, and the Yankees are hoping that level of excellence can remain after a lengthy layoff. If Gerrit Cole can keep throwing the ball the way he has lately and one of their starters in Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, or Nestor Cortes can step up they might just have enough to get the job done come postseason time.