Clarke Schmidt, the New York Yankees pitcher, built a strong case for himself to land a spot on starting pitching rotation.
New York Yankees played a doubleheader on Sunday as they faced Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays in spring training. Moreover, the Yanks were coming off after a loss in the league opener against Philadelphia Phillies. Hence, the roster came all guns blazing, and the regular players, as well as the top prospects, delivered a team performance to clinch a comprehensive 7-0 win over the Braves.
Recently, Clarke Schmidt received a chance to feature as the lead of the pitching rotation for the New York Yankees. The idea is to give Clarke as much game time as possible since he is being considered the fifth starter in the regular season. Since Frankie Montas picked up his recurring shoulder injury, the Yankees front office are on a mission to find his replacement in the starting rotation. Hence, Clarke emerged as the perfect fit with his recent performance.
Clarke Schmidt Adds More Variation To His Pitches, Shines Against The Braves
Schmidt, the right-handed pitching prospect of the New York Yankees, has made a perfect start to spring training, fueling speculation that he could be in line for a spot in the team’s starting rotation. Clarke Schmidt, who the Yankees drafted in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft, made his first appearance in spring training on Sunday. Moreover, the pitcher struck out five batters with a new pitching variation.
As it happened, Clarke Schmidt has added another variation in his pitches, the cutter. According to Clarke, the cutter is going to dominate his pitches for the upcoming season. Moreover, he intends to use the cutters against the left hand as well as the right-handed hitters. The pitcher added that he is pumped this year to somehow win a spot on the starting rotation. Clearly, he is here to compete and will give all his heart to the ground. Schmidt’s strong start to spring training is certainly encouraging for the Yankees, who have a number of question marks in their starting rotation heading into the season.
Aaron Judge Heaps Praise On Schmidt, Calls Him A Bulldog
Clarke Schmidt turned heads around in his first game of the spring training with impressive pitches. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ newly minted captain, left the Tampa ballpark highly impressed with the pitcher. Speaking on Clarke’s performance, Judge said he did some electric stuff on the mound against the Atlanta Braves.
The slugger further added that apart from his control over his pitchers, Clarke’s presence on the mound makes a significant difference. Aaron Judge elaborated, saying the pitcher is an absolute bulldog with a killer instinct who wants to attack the hitter. Further, Judge emphasized the importance of having such guys around with an aggressive mindset. Lastly, the 30-year-old concluded, saying he is excited to see early glimpses of Clarke’s potential and will look forward to seeing him out on the mound more often.