Yankees Starter Clarke Schmidt Shines vs Rays

The always-confident Schmidt fired blanks for 6.2 innings on the way to a Yankee victory.

May 10, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt (36) throws a / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt is the most confident player on the New York Yankees.

And on Friday evening in St. Petersburg, that confidence and swagger was on full display.

In what might have been the best start of his career so far, the 28-year-old right-hander hurled a gem against the Tampa Bay Rays. Allowing no runs on five hits and two walks, Schmidt needed only 87 pitches to retire 20 batters, coming just one out shy of going seven full innings. He struck out six batters, lowered his ERA to 2.95, and logged a quality start as the Bronx Bombers rode his arm to a eventual 2-0 shutout win.

Clarke was sharp 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GUWIC0b0x2

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 11, 2024

One of Schmidt's biggest goals this season was to pitch deeper into games, and he's been making progress in that regard; he's pitched at least five innings in all but one start this season, and Friday's performance was his first time pitching past the sixth. He has yet to allow more than three runs in a start as well, so he's also making those innings count.

"I know I am capable of controlling my pitch count and [going] deeper into games, so this was a big step in the right direction," Schmidt said after the game. "I feel like that is the next puzzle piece in continuing to get better."

After allowing a leadoff single to Yandy Diaz, Schmidt retired six in a row. In the third inning, he pitched around a single and stolen base by Jose Caballero by striking out Alex Jackson and Diaz; Schmidt also got an assist from catcher Jose Trevino, who gunned down Caballero at third base to thwart another steal attempt.

Swing-and-miss stuff from Schmidt @ClarkeSchmidt 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/skyX77OOo1

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 11, 2024

Schmidt got the only run he would need in the top of the fourth thanks to a two-out rally, as consecutive singles by Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo allowed Aaron Judge to score. The righty responded with an eight-pitch inning in the bottom half, getting Isaac Paredes to ground into an inning-ending double play on the first pitch of the at-bat.

The Rays attempted to rally in the fifth inning after two quick outs by stringing together a single, stolen base, and walk. But Schmidt quashed this threat by striking out Jackson to end the frame. Continuing to take advantage of Tampa Bay's aggressive approach at the plate, Schmidt needed just seven pitches to finish the sixth inning for the first time all year; he also chipped in defensively, executing a perfect pickoff to catch Randy Arozarena napping at first base.

Got 'em 👊 pic.twitter.com/j7a8ttTCym

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 11, 2024

Now pitching in unfamiliar territory, Schmidt allowed a leadoff walk to Paredes in the seventh but concluded his night by striking out Harold Ramirez and retiring Jonny DeLuca. He could hardly look when manager Aaron Boone took the ball from him, but it wouldn't take long for the Yankees to stand the runner he left on base when Trevino threw out Paredes at second. From there, the Bronx Bombers used a combination of Nick Burdi, Luke Weaver, and Clay Holmes to nail down the victory.

"I feel we had a good game plan going into it," Schmidt said. "Even the hits felt like executed pitches. I was in a really good spot mechanically, getting to my lanes and my areas, so I was never really worried when they put some traffic on base."

Back in spring training, Boone called Schmidt "not human" and "the most confident person in the world". After delivering such a crucial performance, that confidence is continuing to grow for Schmidt as he evolves into a mainstay in the Yankees' starting rotation.