Yankees Looking for Length Out of Clarke Schmidt

Schmidt, who made the team’s Opening Day roster, is built up to 70-75 pitches.

Hours after being named the Yankees’ most outstanding rookie in spring training, Clarke Schmidt received even better news on Tuesday.

The righty was informed that he made New York’s Opening Day roster, a career first for the 26-year-old. Schmidt, drafted in the first round in 2017, is the club’s seventh-best prospect, per MLB.com. He has 12.2 innings of major league experience. That number will increase as the Yankees and other teams look to spread out their pitchers’ workloads this April following a short exhibition season.

Schmidt has almost exclusively been a starter at the minor league level, but three of his five MLB appearances have come out of the bullpen. For now, the Yankees plan on using him in relief, though he won’t necessarily be a one-frame pitcher. Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Schmidt is built up to 70-75 pitches; he’s a guy that can give the Yankees length when needed.

“You never know how the games unfold. But there could certainly be a time in there where he's, I don't wanna say piggybacking, but that sort of [situation],” Boone said. “Could be a game where he's on and he gives us three or four innings. We'll see. He's a guy that gets ready pretty good from the bullpen. So I'm not too worried about altering him that much. I feel like he's in a good spot to come help us.”

Clarke Schmidt, Winner By KO (84mph Breaking Ball). 🥊 pic.twitter.com/Ff7TUPMBVs

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 3, 2022

Schmidt is one of 16 pitchers the Yankees will carry at the start of the season while rosters are expanded. He’s coming off a solid spring, tallying a 3.86 ERA while leading New York with 9.1 innings pitched and 11 strikeouts. Schmidt walked two and allowed six hits.

That performance earned him the James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the organization’s top rookie in camp. Now Schmidt is looking to parlay that success into a full-time role with the team after an elbow strain altered his 2021 plans last spring and limited him to just two MLB games.

"I've been a prospect for so long," Schmidt told Inside The Pinstripes this week. "I'm ready to drop that title and move on to the next part of my career, being an everyday major leaguer."

MORE:

• Yankees Finalize Opening Day Roster: Who Made the Team?
• Greg Bird Returns To Yankees On Minor League Deal
• Ex-Yankees Reliever Signs Minor League Deal With Dodgers

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