clarke schmidt

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees get shut out in final game of the season

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New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu

The New York Yankees last night hoped to gain momentum by winning their last two games of the season, going into the playoffs.  Instead, the Yankees were shut out by the Miami Marlins 5-0.  Yankee pitcher Clarke Schmidt made his major league debut as a starter. He didn’t pitch badly, keeping the Yankees in the game, but he did give up three runs in just four innings, walking two and racking up four strikeouts. That was enough for him to take the loss, as the Yankee offense was again quiet.

Last night’s game was just another instance of Yankee pitching not being stellar and the inability of the lineup to shore him up. It has been a trend for most of the year that has caused the Yankees long losing streaks and, at times, successful periods.  If the Yankees are going to succeed in the postseason, the offense will have to step it up, as they will be facing some of the best pitchers in the game.

At the top of the first inning, the New York Yankee’s  Clarke Schmidt took to the mound and encouraged the Yankees by putting down the Marlins, one, two, three, using only seven pitches. The Marlin’s pitcher Jose Urena pitched a clean bottom of the frame.  Schmidt’s dominance in the first inning was missing at the top of the second inning when he gave up three runs, which would be all the Marlins would need. With two on, he allowed Jazz Chisholm a standup double driving in two. Cory Dickerson singled up the middle, scoring Chisholm from second, and it was 3-0.

Continuing in the bottom of the second inning, Starlin Marte took to the plate, and Schmidt plunked him in the helmet, knocking him out of the game. Schmidt reloaded the bases, but Jesus Aguilar grounded out, saving Schmidt of a blowout in the inning and keeping the Yankees in reach of a comeback.  Unfortunately, the comeback was not to be had, as the Yankees failed to string any hits together, allowing them to cross home plate.

At the top of the third inning, DJ LeMahieu, who had walked in the first, sent a comebacker lined back at Marlins starter Jose Urena knocking him to the ground in writhing pain. The ball ended up hitting his pitching hand, and it became the second Marlin to be knocked out of the game by being hit by a Yankee.

The remainder of the game was relatively unremarkable for the Yankees. At the top of the fifth, Brian Anderson hit a homer off the Yankee reliever Jonathan Holder. Nick Nelson came out in the seventh, and in the eighth, he gave up a home to Jazz Chisholm to center, and it was 5-0 Marlins, which would be the final score in the game.  Schmidt took the loss, and Daniel Castano, who pitched brilliantly for the Marlins, in relief of Urena, got the win.

All in all, this is not the way the New York Yankees wanted to end their season.  But there are a few good takeaways from the game.  The biggest is that the Yankees played a clean errorless game without any injuries. Also, Brett Gardner, in his last game of the season,  went 3 for 4, which is a good sign going into the playoffs. DJ LeMahieu nailed down his batting title, being the first player to win it in both leagues in the modern era. Luke Voit, who has been this year’s workhorse for the Yankees, came away with the home run leader title.

 

 

New York Yankees: Clarke Schmidt expected to make first MLB start on Sunday

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New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt

Reports indicate that Clarke Schmidt will make his first New York Yankees start on Sunday against the Miami Marlins. Schmidt, 24, has made two major league appearances out of the bullpen, but has yet to start a game. He has a 7.71 ERA in 2.1 innings.

The hard-throwing right-hander from the University of South Carolina was drafted by the Yankees in the first round of the 2017 draft. It wasn’t until 2018 where he made his professional debut, beginning a quick rise to the majors. His first season saw him stay in rookie ball and low-A, pitching to a tune of a 3.09 ERA across three levels.

2019 saw him make appearances in both A and AA, but never saw AAA. He had a 3.47 ERA across three levels, impressing the Yankees with his velocity and strikeout numbers. He struck out 102 batters in just 90.2 innings, and sits in the mid-90s on the radar.

Schmidt impressed during the shortened spring training, and was invited to “summer camp” once the season commenced. He impressed again there, but was sent to the alternate site in Scranton to continue training. After staying in Scranton for nearly a month and a half, he made his major league debut on September 4th, out of the bullpen.

The Yankees have tasked Schmidt with starting the final game of the regular season, which will likely be a meaningless game for the team. They are poised for the five-seed, as Tampa Bay has clinched their first division in 10 years.

Additionally, Deivi Garcia is likely to start on Saturday, per Aaron Boone. Garcia has a 2-2 record with a 4.88 ERA in five starts. Like on Sunday, Saturday’s game is expected to essentially be meaningless for the Yankees.

The New York Yankees Starting Rotation: 2021 and Beyond

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The New York Yankees are looking into Cleveland Indians pitcher, Trevor Bauer.

For the last decade, there have always been questions surrounding the New York Yankees starting rotation. That has been the one flaw in the team that has hindered them from getting over the hump and capturing a 28th World Series championship.

The Yankees made a big step in the right direction signing Gerrit Cole last offseason. Cole has been very good so far this year pitching to a 5-3 record with a 3.20 ERA and striking out 12.1 batters per nine innings. Masahiro Tanaka has been good, but the rest of the rotation has been hit or miss.

Jordan Montgomery hasn’t been sensational so far. The Yankees have had solid outings from J.A. Happ, but the bombers are hoping he’s not part of their 2021 plans given his optional salary. The Yankees have had one pleasant surprise this year, and that’s been Deivi Garcia.

I started thinking about the Yankees beyond this odd COVID season. What is the Yankees rotation going to look like beyond this year, and what are the Yankees going to do this offseason to address the starting pitching? Let’s take a dive into the options.

The Yankees Internal Options

Realistically there is only one guarantee for the Yankees rotation to start the season and that’s Gerrit Cole. Luis Severino will of course be a part of the rotation, but we really don’t know when he will return from his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

I would think that the Yankees would be willing to give Domingo German a spot in the rotation. Last year’s 18 game winner was suspended for the shortened season due to a Domestic Violence case. If those three are in, that leaves questions around the other two spots.

Deivi Garcia sure looks like he deserves a full-time spot in the rotation. The 21 year old has looked sensational through three starts for the Yankees pitching to a 3.06 ERA. However, given the small sample size, his spot isn’t guaranteed.

Jordan Montgomery could get one of the final two spots, but his inconsistent performances could give the Yankees pause. Clarke Schmidt is another option, but he was never given an actual look in the starting rotation, so I’m not convinced they’d go with him.

As things stand, the Yankees could go into the 2021 season without doing a thing and they could field a starting five if Severino is ready to start the year which might be unlikely. If Severino isn’t ready, the Yankees could give Schmidt a chance or look at the starting pitching market.

Options in the Market

The Yankees do have a few starting pitchers that will be hitting the free agent market. The Yankees will do what they can to make sure J.A. Happ’s option doesn’t vest while James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka are both set to become free agents after the year.

If the Yankees were to sign someone in the market, the likely signing would be retaining Masahiro Tanaka. While resigning Tanaka would certainly not be the sexy option for fans, this will probably be the most likely avenue GM Brian Cashman goes down.

If I were running things, I would take a shot at Trevor Bauer. Bauer is having a career year for the Reds. How nice would it be to pair him and Gerrit Cole? Yes there’s personal friction, but money and championships talk.

The Yankees could also look at retaining Paxton, but given the injury concerns, this likely won’t be an option unless they get him dirt cheap. The Yankees could also explore the trade market, but with Cashman’s history, this is also unlikely because of his unwillingness to deal top prospects.

There are plenty of avenues the team can go down to finish off the rotation next year. I would caution fans to not dream of a Bauer scenario. Instead, prepare yourselves for more of a underwhelming offseason like retaining Masahiro Tanaka.

New York Yankees: Could we see Schmidt making his debut this weekend? Here’s what Boone said

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New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt

The New York Yankees started an important series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. At the moment of play ball, they were tied with the Toronto Blue Jays in the second place of the American League East division, so they need to string a few victories to claim separation and to mount a chase of the leaders, the Tampa Bay Rays.

To win some games, the Yankees need some quality pitching. They haven’t gotten many quality innings lately, especially from the bullpen. The team could use an injection of youth, freshness, and new blood.

Clarke Schmidt, the New York Yankees’ top pitching prospect, was added to the team’s taxi squad and traveled to Baltimore, where the club is playing its series against the Orioles. Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reported that they could consider bringing him up to make his big league debut.

A rough stretch for the Yankees

After all, the Yankees will play 20 games in the next 17 days and they are going to need all the help they can get. But despite all the hoopla that was created over the report, manager Aaron Boone put some water on the fire.

Boone said that the Yankees aren’t considering calling up Smith at this moment, per Mark Feinsand, although things could change any minute if the team suffers another injury or if one or several key arms are overused in Baltimore.

Schmidt, 24, is a very interesting prospect and could inject some life to the rotation, as Deivi Garcia did in his debut. He had a 3.47 ERA and 102/28 K/BB ratio over 90 2/3 frames across three levels in the minors in 2019. However, he has precious few innings above Double-A.

Will the Yankees call him up this weekend? As of now, there are no plans. But in this crazy short season, anything can happen. Stay tuned, because plans can change at any moment.

Yankees could trade away two young pitching prospects, or start them

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees are being forced into a corner regarding their starting pitching unit. After using Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka on Wednesday in a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves, losing both games, they will have to dive into their taxi squad to last the weekend.

With two doubleheaders, one on Friday and the other on Sunday, utilizing young pitching prospects will be on a necessity.

In the first game of the doubleheader on Friday, Jordan Montgomery will take the mound. In the second game, the Yankees will utilize their bullpen to last a shortened seven-inning contest. However, over the weekend, players like Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt could be handled the ball in their first MLB starts.

Trade bait or legitimate Yankees starters?

Ultimately, the two pitching prospects are considered trade bait at this point in the season. With injuries littered across the roster, the Yankees desperately need more talent to uplift their spirits. They’re currently on a five-game losing streak and need support in the bullpen and starting rotation. Finding a way to grab a solidified starter would be a huge boost to a team that recently lost James Paxton due to a flexor strain. He is currently on the 10-day injured list and will return eventually, but his velocity has already been down and has struggled at times on the mound.

Giving Garcia and Schmidt an opportunity to showcase their abilities, could give them a stock bump in a trade scenario for the Yankees. Often times, deals don’t happen until the final day of the deadline, and we shouldn’t expect a manager Aaron Boone to give away their hand so soon. General manager Brian Cashman works quietly behind the scenes, and despite losing out on Tijuana Walker, there are plenty of pitchers they can target.

When asked about the trade deadline Boone said, “Honestly, no real expectations. Obviously it’s such a unique year and i think [general manager Brian Cashman] and everyone in the front office is kind of navigating what all that means. I know they’re certainly doing their due diligence and going through the process and having conference calls and Zoom calls and definitely exploring a lot of different options. What comes from that remains to be seen. But I haven’t really had any heavy conversations with Cash the last couple of days in regards to that other than knowing they’re putting a lot of time into at least exploring different options.”

Unfortunately, trading for players is always at a loss. Waiting until free agency would be the ideal scenario, but the number of injuries is forcing the Yankees’ hand. Worst case scenario, they stay with their current group and hope for the best, and best-case scenario they land and experience starter who can hold down the fort in the meantime. It is also possible that Schmidt and Garcia simply earn debut starts and continue from there. Both are quality arms who are rising through the ranks and deserve an opportunity at this point.

These prized New York Yankees prospects could debut this weekend

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees have a very busy week, with three doubleheaders thanks to the Mets’ COVID-19 cases last week and last night’s rainout versus the Atlanta Braves. The weekend will be especially brutal from a physical standpoint, as the Bombers will play five games in three days.

Because of that, the Yankees are going to need many arms to navigate through the tough weekend, and if they are fresh, then even better. That’s why manager Aaron Boone told NJ.com that prized rookies Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia are in play to be called up for the Subway Series.

“They’ll be guys that we’re definitely starting to have conversations that potentially could come into play in some way, shape or form this weekend,” Boone said before Tuesday’s game against the Braves at Truist Park had to be postponed due to rain.

The Yankees’ best pitching prospects

We are talking about the two best pitching prospects in the New York Yankees’ system, with no question. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America have Schmidt and Garcia as the second and third best young players in the farm, behind teenage phenom Jasson Dominguez.

Schmidt was the Yankees’ first-round draft pick back in 2017, while he was rehabbing from surgery. He healed, he developed, and he is now ready to take on the big leagues at 24 years old.

Garcia is 21 and had impressive numbers last year at Class-A Advanced and Double-A. He struggled somewhat at the Triple-A level.

Jordan Montgomery will take the ball in one of Friday’s games, while J.A. Happ will do it on Saturday. Sunday’s starter is up in the air, opening up the possibility of Schmidt and Garcia starting that day.

Their callup isn’t a sure thing, though, as neither of them are in the 40-man roster. The Yankees would need to cut someone from the roster to make room.

New York Yankees: Clarke Schmidt says he is “ready” to help the team

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New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt

The New York Yankees‘ rotation is not the most stable unit in baseball right now. They have suffered with injuries, most notably with Luis Severino. They have also endured suspensions, personified by Domingo German. Others have had issues with command, such as J.A. Happ, while others are struggling with velocity, as is the case of James Paxton.

Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka currently look good, but behind them and Jordan Montgomery, everything is a question mark. Should we be encouraged by Paxton’s last start even though his fastball velo is still not ideal? Should Yankees’ fans have faith that Happ will turn it around?

Here is another idea: calling up prospect Clarke Schmidt. He says, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media, that he is ready for primetime. And he shows that he is prepared, too, with a fine 2019 in the minors (including a 3.84 ERA in Class A+ and a 2.37 mark in 19.0 Double-A innings.) and a very good spring training and summer camp.

The Yankees have him stretched out to four innings

Schmidt has been in the New York Yankees’ alternate training site working with Director of Pitching Sam Briend and Manager of Pitch Development Desi Druschel on several things, most notably his two-seam fastball.

He can almost feel that he can be up at any minute, but instead of getting anxious, he’s working on improving his game.

“I understand that my opportunity is coming, hopefully sooner than later because I’m itching to get up there and itching to be able to help the guys out and help the team win,” Schmidt said to NJ.com.

Schmidt is focusing on refining “the different shape between the four-seam and the two-seamon. Just continuing to face hitters and continuing to feel good and stay as ready as possible.”

Right now, Schmidt is stretched to four innings, and he aims to throw five the next time he steps on a mound. That next outing is expected to come Wednesday. After that, who knows? Will the Yankees give him arguably the most important call of his life?

New York Yankees: Is it Clarke Schmidt time in the Bronx?

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New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt

The New York Yankees have one of the best rotations in baseball even though James Paxton isn’t at his best, Luis Severino is injured, and Domingo German is suspended. However, the desire to be even better should always exist. And the presence of J.A. Happ in the rotation is the perfect example of that.

Should the Yankees look for avenues to make the rotation even stronger? Well, they should. Now, the other question would be: is one of the avenues to improve the group already in the organization? Well, they might as well try to find out.

Clarke Schmidt, the New York Yankees’ first-round selection in 2017, is a talented prospect who not only impressed last season in the minor leagues (3.84 ERA in 63.1 Double-A innings and 2.37 ERA in 19.0 Triple-A frames, always with more than 9.00 K/9) but also raised many eyebrows in spring training and summer camp.

Should the Yankees boot Happ from the rotation?

Happ, meanwhile, was plain bad last season (4.91 ERA and an even worse 5.22 FIP in 161.1 frames) and started off 2020 with the wrong foot (10.29 ERA, 11.13 FIP, 3.86 K/9 and 10.29 BB/9 in seven innings.)

Happ was very good for an extended period of time, including some starts with the 2018 Yankees and the entire month of September in 2019. But at nearly 38 years old, there are a lot of miles in his left arm and he looks terrible. It may be time to move on for the Bombers, and in Clarke Schmidt, they have an exciting prospect who has a great chance of performing better.

Even if the Yankees decide to stick with Happ, another path to the rotation could open up for Schmidt. Paxton, who has showed diminished velocity in his first two starts, doesn’t look healthy. It wouldn’t shock anyone if he hits the injured list soon and the team calls up Schmidt.

Only time will tell, but Schmidt’s debut looks closer each day. But look at this stuff and tell me it wouldn’t be better than Happ.

New York Yankees News: All the latest moves before Thursday’s Opening Day

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The New York Yankees opening day game is Thursday, July 23, at 7 pm, in the nation’s capital.  The game is against the World Champion Washington Nationals and will feature the Yankee’s new pitching ace Gerrit Cole facing the National’s ace Max Scherzer.  The Yankees are traveling today for a late workout at National’s Park this afternoon.

Ahead of the game, the Yankees have made several moves. One of those moves included optioning Jordan Montgomery to the Yankees alternate training site in Moosic, PA.

Manager Boone announced that Cole would start on Thursday and James Paxon on Saturday.  Masahiro Tanaka’s scheduled start on Sunday probably will not happen. It has yet to be decided but will most likely be started by an opener. Chad Green, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Michael King were mentioned to start that game.  Montgomery would likely be recalled before the sixth start of the season.

Before the first game of the regular season, the New York Yankees must reduced their pitchers, hitters, and bench down to the allowed 30 men, mandated by MLB for the first two weeks of the season. In doing so they have reassigned to the club’s alternate training site in Moosic, Pa.,  infielder Matt Duffy, outfielder Estevan Florial, right-hander Deivi García, outfielder Zack Granite, catcher Erik Kratz, pitcher Brooks Kriske, pitcher Tyler Lyons, pitcher Nick Nelson, pitcher Clarke Schmidt, pitcher Nick Tropeano, pitcher Miguel Yajure and right-hander Tony Zych.

Prior to moving the players and pitchers manager, Aaron Boone had words about pitching prospects Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia.

“Deivi is a young guy that had so much success last year and rocketed through [the Minors] that clearly still has some development to go,” Boone said. “This will be an important time for him down there to continue to develop and iron out his delivery. His repertoire and his talent will allow him to get here, so it’s an important time for him to continue to prove himself down there and keep himself in the conversation.

“And then Clarke … has delivered in every way; what we saw in Spring Training, what we’ve seen now here in Summer Camp, he’s been excellent. For a guy that hasn’t had a lot of Minor League experience yet, he’s pretty polished, too. Hopefully, he’ll go down there and continue to develop and pitch. He’s very much in the conversation to be with us at some point this season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was — and not only if he was, but playing an important role for us.”

Earlier yesterday, Clarke Schmidt was awarded the James P. Dawson Award, indicative of the club’s top rookie in Spring Training.

The Yankees alternate training site in Moosic, PA is the home of the Scranton Wilkes/Barre Rail Riders of the minor leagues.  The Yankees AAA team plays at PNC Park.

In other moves, the New York Yankees placed right-hander Dan Otero on the restricted list. They also signed left-hander Luis Avilán, right-hander David Hale and catcher Chris Iannetta to Major League contracts, selecting them to the 40-man roster.

In the case of Otero, the reason for him being placed on the restricted list is unclear. The restricted list includes players who are out of organized baseball but are not free agents. It can include a player has left the team without a valid reason, or has announced his intention to retire but is still of age or level of skill that could allow him to return in the future. In effect, the team states that it retains rights to the player if and when he becomes active again. The list is also used to place a player who is unavailable to play for non-baseball reasons, such as personal issues or trouble with the law.

 

New York Yankees: Pitcher Clarke Schmidt wins the coveted James P. Dawson Award

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New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt
The New York Yankees are nearly done with summer camp 2020. With the split spring training in Tampa and New York, it is unclear what awards will be given out for spring training play. Today the Yankees organization released a press release that announced that Clarke Schmidt had won the coveted James P. Dawson Award.
JULY 21, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CLARKE SCHMIDT WINS 2020 JAMES P. DAWSON AWARD
The New York Yankees today announced that right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt is the recipient of the 2020 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the most outstanding Yankees rookie in spring training.
Schmidt, 24, made four official spring training appearances (one start), posting a 2.57 ERA (7.0IP, 2ER) with 8K. The El Toro, Calif., native was selected by the Yankees in the first round (16th overall) of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. He entered the 2020 season tabbed by
Baseball America as the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect and as having the “Best Curveball” among all Yankees farmhands.
The award was established in honor of James P. Dawson (1896-1953), who began a 45-year career with The New York Times as a copy boy in 1908. Eight years later, he became boxing editor and cove red boxing and baseball until his death during spring training in 1953. Two winners of the honor, Tony Kubek in 1957 and Tom Tresh in 1962, went on to win the American League “Rookie of the Year” Award. The Dawson Award first was presented to rookie Norm Sieb ern by Manager Casey Stengel in St.
Petersburg, Fla., at the conclusion of spring training in 1956. New York Yankees beat writers vote on the winner. In conjunction with the award, Schmidt will receive a watch from Betteridge Jewelers.
Other recent winners of the prestigious award were Brett Gardner in 2009, Masahiro Tanaka in 2014, Gleyber Torres in 2017, and Miguel Andujar in 2018.  Clarke Schmidt is destined for big things.