Minority Report: Yankee prospect Clarke Schmidt guests on MiLB’s TSBTS podcast

Baseball America’s 65th overall prospect (Yankees #2) Clarke Schmidt joined MiLB.com’s “The Show Before the Show” podcast today with host Sam Dykstra.

The discussion included being invited to his first big league camp as a non-roster invitee, overcoming Tommy John surgery, his pitch repertoire and improved spin rates, his rise to Trenton, and his goals (the Bronx!) for 2020. The interview begins at the 28:00 mark.

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Schmidt was the Yankees first-round pick, 16th overall, in the 2017 MLB draft after playing college ball for South Carolina. A month before the draft, he underwent successful Tommy John surgery causing many to consider him a reach prospect. He made his minor league debut late in the 2018 season in the GCL and finishing up in the NYPenn with Staten Island.

2019 began his first full season in the minors, including his season premiere gem against 2018 overall number one pick and Tiger farmhand, Casey Mize. Schmidt threw five perfect innings with nine strikeouts.

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He climbed to A+ Tampa and eventually to Trenton for his last three regular-season games. In the Eastern League, Schmidt had a 2.37 ERA, 0.47 BB/9, 9.00 SO/9, and an incredible 0.79 WHIP. Three starts is an admittedly small sample size, but he continued pitching well through the Eastern League Championship, giving up one run in 10.2 innings. From his six scoreless inning long relief outing in the league semi-finals against Reading:

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The 6’1” 200-pound right-hander boasts a 94-95 MPH fastball, a plus change-up, a curve, and a slider. However, Schmidt describes the last two as more of a “slurve,” which he can manipulate with speed and arm slot. Due to the variety of pitches, scouts have him projected as a middle of the rotation starter who will likely begin the season in Trenton but could find himself with the big club as a late-season call-up.

He completed his first major league bullpen session today.

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