The New York Yankees called up RHP Clarke Schmidt before last night’s game in Baltimore. He was ranked as the number two prospect in the Yankees organization. Ever since his intrasquad performance, fans have been hyping up the young right-hander and for good reason.
Clarke Schmidt isn’t usually a relief pitcher, but he was the Yankees’ only option last night. New York had an extremely overworked bullpen, which forced Aaron Boone to pull the trigger. It’s safe to say he didn’t have the debut he wanted. He gave up four runs on four hits in the fifth inning. However, it’s not something we should be worried about.
Three reasons you shouldn’t be concerned about Schmidt after his debut:
3. He’s not a relief pitcher
Clarke Schmidt is a starting pitcher. He’s not used to coming into situations in which there are already runners in scoring position. It’s extremely hard to adjust to a different role in general. But it’s especially hard to do so in your MLB debut. His success with the Yankees in the future is not going to be his ability to pitch out of the bullpen, which is why you shouldn’t be upset with him. I would’ve loved to see him come out and deal right off the bat, too, but it’s not something you should expect from someone like him right now.Â
2. No one hit him hard
Most of the hits that Schmidt gave up last night were balls not hit very hard that found holes. There were several times that the Yankees’ defense were beat by balls that went against the shift. That happened a lot against Clarke Schmidt. The very first hit he gave up was a 75 mph blooper that just went over Tyler Wade’s head at shortstop. Then the hit right after that was a slow ground ball that went against the shift. That’s exactly what you want to see when a guy like Schmidt is pitching. Balls that aren’t hit hard.
1. It was his MLB debut!
Not only was it one of the only times he’s come out of the bullpen, but it was also the first time he has pitched in the MLB. One outing doesn’t describe a player. And if it did, Schmidt’s performance would be described as weak hits that found holes against good pitching. That’s what it was. It was an unlucky start for Clarke Schmidt in his debut. He is a very competitive player and knows what he has to do. Trust me, we weren’t the only ones disappointed last night. No one is more disappointed than Schmidt. That’s what you want.Â
Clarke Schmidt is going to be a big part of the Yankees’ success very soon. New York took a chance on him in the draft by taking him despite him being due for Tommy John. He has impressed everyone in the organization, and the results of his pitching on Friday night does not tell the story of Clarke Schmidt. You can take that to the bank.