"Blake Snell who?" - Clarke Schmidt's strong spring training outing has Yankees fans content with rotation
Yankees fans are pleasedwith Clarke Schmidt’s recent performance in a spring training game against the Miami Marlins on Monday. The right-handed pitcher threw an almost-perfect four innings, giving up just one hit, no runs, and no walks. Despite only one strikeout, Schmidt’s overall performance has sparked hope among Yankees fans.
Clarke Schmidt is expected to be the team’s fifth starter in 2024, after Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, and Nestor Cortes. Despite continuous speculation linking the Yankees to Blake Snell, the team remains confident in Schmidt’s ability to perform, especially considering his 4.64 ERA in 159 innings last year.
"Blake Snell who?" - Joked one fan.
Schmidt, 28, has had a steady growth throughout the 2023 MLB season, showing promise and leaving the Yankees front office excited for the next season. Despite a shaky start, Schmidt improved over the season.
"Homegrown and underrated." - Praised another fan.
Clarke Schmidt’s recent spring training performance has motivated the team as the 2024 season approaches.
In a recent interview with the New York Post, New York Yankees manager, Aaron Boone stated his confidence in Schmidt’s growth and praised his toughness and drive.
"Clarke’s not human [...] Clarke’s the most confident person in the world. That’s so much just speculation. He’s getting ready to go dominate the league in his mind."
Schmidt’s latest spring training saw him clocking between 94 and 96 mph with his sinker. This shows that the changes he made over the offseason have made his pitching faster. Schmidt intends to impress in 2024 with a diverse arsenal that includes a curveball, a cutter, a sweeper, and a changeup.
According to reports, Schmidt has recently discussed his learning curve and expressed his dedire to demonstrate his potential:
“I’m just going to show people this year [...] I learned a lot from last year and I know what I’m capable of doing."
While the Yankees are still negotiating with free agent Blake Snell, Clarke Schmidt’s strong recent performance gives the team more faith in him and makes it more likely that he’ll earn an important role in their rotation. As Yankees fans look forward to the upcoming season, Schmidt’s potential and improvement may make the Yankees think twice about pursuing additional starters.