The 28yrs old star made his second rehab start, advancing from Double-A with the Somerset Patriots to Triple-A with the Scranton RailRiders, allowing us to access pitch data.
Clarke Schmidt pitched three innings, allowing one run, but the key takeaway is how his performance looked after a lengthy absence due to a lat injury. His velocity was where it should be, though he needs to adjust his pitch movement, as it didn’t break away from right-handed batters as much as expected.
Despite this, the 28-year-old South Carolina native delivered a solid performance, and the Yankees should be optimistic about his potential contributions as the season progresses.
From a velocity perspective, Clarke Schmidt appears to be in good shape. He struck out five batters and allowed just one run in his three innings for Scranton last night. This is a promising sign, and any issues with his sweeper’s movement likely stem from mechanical rust rather than a sudden decline in skill. Schmidt has worked up to 58 pitches, and his next step should be to approach 70 pitches and evaluate his performance from there.
In his two rehab starts, Schmidt has given up two runs while striking out 11 batters, resembling the starter who led the Yankees’ staff in ERA (2.52) earlier this year. His ability to generate strikeouts is impressive, with three pitches each boasting a Whiff Rate over 30% and a strikeout rate exceeding 27%. The Yankees need a reliable starter like Schmidt in the middle of their rotation to dominate opposing lineups, and as long as his stuff remains effective, he should be a valuable asset.
Schmidt adjusted his approach by reducing the use of his sinker, which he threw only 15.6% of the time in his final four starts due to its poor results. Despite this, he allowed just three earned runs over those four starts and pitched into the seventh inning twice.
Improving his ability to miss bats and limit hard contact is crucial, as it could enable him to pitch deeper into games more frequently. While I’m confident Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes can handle playoff starts, the inconsistent performances of Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman’s lack of swing-and-miss stuff make it difficult to rely on them for postseason games.
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