clarke schmidt

New York Yankees: Gleyber Torres talks 2020, Tyler Wade, Clarke Schmidt

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New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres

Infielder Gleyber Torres is focused on helping the New York Yankees win the World Series in the truncated 2020 Major League Baseball season.

On Monday Torres said the Yankees’ mission is “winning everything” (quotes per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch).

“Last year is in the past right now,” Torres said on Monday. “We forgot that. Our mentality and our focus is on the short season right now. We have a mission; the mission is winning everything. That is the job, that’s the focus and mentality, and we’re preparing right now to get there.”

DJ LeMahieu was manager Aaron Boone’s projected second baseman this season, but the infielder recently tested positive for COVID-19, vacating the middle infield position for the time being. A prime candidate to start in LeMahieu’s place is Tyler Wade.

Torres, the Yankees’ likely shortstop, would be “100 percent comfortable” with Wade being his double-play partner.

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“I’d be 100 percent comfortable,” Torres said. “I knew Wade in the Minor Leagues. We’ve got really good communication during the double plays and during the game. It’s like growing up together, and it’s the same feeling right now.”

One of the Yankees’ top prospects, 24-year-old right-hander Clarke Schmidt, has caught Torres’ eye.

“Clarke is really impressive,” Torres said. “We always played a little joke, [saying], ‘When I face you, I’m going to try to hit a homer.’ And now I’ve faced him. I feel really good, I feel confident in all my pitchers.”

Last season Torres posted an .871 OPS and 128 OPS+ while totaling 38 home runs and 90 RBIs. He started 64 games at second base and 73 at shortstop.

Torres says he feels “good.”

“I feel good,” Torres said. “I’m just getting ready to see all the pitchers. I try to be ready each at-bat. I know it’s a little bit different because I don’t really like seeing my teammates; when they pitch, I don’t feel really comfortable. This is a moment to just be focusing in your area and try to get ready for Opening Day.”

The Yankees open the season on the road against the World Series-champion Washington Nationals on July 23.

New York Yankees: Two players to watch during this season

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New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt

It’s finally happening. The New York Yankees will take the field in 2020 and be on the quest for ring number 28. Big players such as Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu, and Gary Sanchez. The Yankees already have a core group of guys that are the main reason for the team’s success, but there are some under the radar players that could have a dominant year this season.

Clark Schmidt

After just two seasons in the Minor Leagues and undergoing Tommy John surgery, Clark Schmidt has impressed many during his last two outings during the Yankee intrasquad games. Even though hitters aren’t 100% up to speed with pitchers yet, all of his pitches look MLB-ready. He commands his fastball very well and flashes a strong breaking ball.

YES Network broadcaster Michael Kay has extremely high expectations for Schmidt this season: “I’d go with Clarke Schmidt. So far, he’s shown me he can get outs in the big leagues. He’s got something to prove, he carries himself with a chip on his shoulder… and the guy looks like he has three to four big-league pitches… He has shown them a lot, not only in spring training but also in the intrasquad games here… I would give him that reward.”

I believe Schmidt will be called upon early in the season to allow the rotation an extra day of rest. He may also be utilized as an “opener,” the strategy that was used several times last season. He has proved so far that he can get outs against a power lineup so there should be no surprise if Schmidt gets quality innings this season.

Kyle Higashioka

Most people don’t know this, but Kyle Higashioka is the longest-tenured player in the Yankee organization on the roster Major League roster. The Yankees must love Higashioka’s game to keep him for so long, and it’s finally paying off this season. After letting Austin Romine walk to free agency this offseason, Higashioka will be the backup catcher for Gary Sanchez.

Higgy has only played 56 games in the Major Leagues but shows promising talent at the plate and especially behind the dish. “He’s earned this spot, this opportunity,” manager Aaron Boone said about Higashioka’s promotion. “He’s put himself in a really good position to be that guy and I have a lot of confidence in him.”

New York Yankees fans should look forward to watching Higashioka behind the plate when Sanchez has a night off. He’s proven to be an above-average defensive catcher that has a little pop in his swing.

Yankees’ Aaron Boone raves about SP Clarke Schmidt: ‘He has a presence to him’

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New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt

New York Yankees‘ Clarke Schmidt is a pitcher whose stock has risen in the last year and has turned lots of heads in the organization. He is finally getting attention from the higher-ups and has a chance to prove something in the coming weeks. 

Before the intrasquad game yesterday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone shared in a media interview how much he loves SP Clarke Schmidt. He talked about how impressed he was after seeing him pitch up close in Spring Training and seems to have high hopes for the young pitcher.

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Manager Aaron Boone raved about the young arm

Boone seems to have trust in the young star. In the interview, Boone says that his pitch repertoire is “excellent” and says his “athleticism on the mound allows him to have a real clean delivery.” Adding on, he talks about his attitude and how “he has a presence to him” saying that “he believes he belongs here.” 

Boone notices Schmidt as a very determined person and states “he came in highly touted” and “looked the part” in Spring Training. Boone finishes by saying they  “certainly are excited about his development so far” and that he is “looking forward to seeing him go out and start building.”

Schmidt pitched the first and second inning of last night’s intrasquad game and was lights out. He struck out some big-name players like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on nasty breaking balls. Boone and the rest of the coaches seemed really pleased with Schmidt’s performance. 

Clarke showed promising numbers last season. He pitched in 19 games last year and finished with 3.47 ERA. He struck 102 batters out in 90.2 innings and had a BB/9 of 2.8. Schmidt then received an invite to Spring Training in 2020. He appeared in 4 games and had a 2.57 ERA in 7 innings of work. 

Clarke Schmidt is currently ranked as the 88th best prospect in the MLB and 2nd in the Yankees organization. He still has a lot to prove but is someone to keep your eye on in Summer Camp.

New York Yankees: 2 biggest takeaways from intrasquad scrimmage

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New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt

The New York Yankees faced off in an inter-squad matchup consisting of a fraction of their 59 summer camp players.

Ultimately, it was the starting lineup first the reserve line up, but neither of the two looked ready for live-action. Prior to the start of the game, a storm rolled through the Bronx, forcing the tarp out onto the field. It would’ve been an interesting site to see a rain delay on an inter-squad exhibition game the represents live reps for the players.

The Yankees have waited idly by for the opportunity to get on the field, and the matchup showed us several things to keep an eye moving forward.

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Here are the two biggest takeaways from the New York Yankees exhibition game:

1.) The pitchers dominated

As expected, the pitchers dominated the first matchup against live hitters. Even the Yankees’ top sluggers were behind on pitches, due to a lack of reps during quarantine. This is a fantastic opportunity for the players to return to their previous form in spring training.

Several months ago, Giancarlo Stanton, who is reportedly healthy after straining a calf muscle before spring training began, stated that he needed about 30 at-bats to get into baseball shape.

Stanton, aside from his health issues, hit starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka in the head with a line drive over the weekend, staining the come back for the Bombers.

The inadequacy of the hitters was more a testament to the quality of the pitchers, especially youth star Clarke Schmidt, who blanked everyone he faced. He struck Gary Sanchez out on a swing and a miss, something we have become accustomed to over the past two years.

Both the starting and reserve lineups struggled to get anything going, hitting a majority foul balls or light grounders to shortstop and third-base. The only positive sign was Thairo Estrada, who hit a homerun to left field off Tommy Kahnle.

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New York Yankees have better luck adhering to health protocols

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The New York Yankees tonight will have their first intrasquad game with the Yankee’s J.A. Happ facing the Bombers Clarke Schmidt in a 7 pm eastern matchup at Yankee Stadium.  Some teams have not even been able to complete their first workouts.

The problem seems to center around getting results from testing and the lack of necessary health protocol supplies.  With that in mind, it put the 38 or 39 players testing at positive for the coronavirus in question.  With some teams not getting their tests back promptly that total is most likely much higher than the 1.2% infection rate reported by the players association.

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees have reported that two of their players DJ LeMahieu and Luis Cessa have tested positive.  LeMahieu is asymptomatic and Cessa only has very mild symptoms.  Both of these cases were discovered with testing before they arrived at Yankee Stadium.  They are self-quarantining at home. Yankee players have their temperature taken when they enter the park and are tested for the virus every two days.

The New York Yankees, although it is a challenge, have all the safety health protocols in place.  The use of Masks, surgical gloves, social distancing are all being used and practiced.  The media has limited access to the stadium and are not allowed in the clubhouse or on the field.  The Yankees are using all areas of the Stadium, both clubhouses, even the great hall to get in all their workouts and meetings.  The Yankees are using eight mounds and all areas of the field.

There have been more positive tests every day, including two for the Nationals that manager Davey Martinez disclosed during his Zoom call. The Cardinals have announced three positive cases, the White Sox two. Braves star Freddie Freeman, who initially tested negative, was among four cases in Atlanta. This has all been within five days of MLB starting back up. The New York Yankees seem to be lucky with only two players infected and they aren’t even at summer camp.

Intake tests have been sorely incomplete, which has forced several teams to change or even postpone workouts. It has been reported that some teams have not received the personal protection equipment that is required by the MLB health initiative.

There is one lab that supposedly is handling all the MLB tests.  There was an original skepticism that the lab would be able to handle the volume and get the tests back in the required 24 to 48 hours. That skepticism has become a reality. On Sunday, Oakland was forced to cancel its position players’ workout because it didn’t have all its intake test results.  In such a short summer camp these inequalities hardly seem fair.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Astros were not tested either Saturday or Sunday, sources tell me and @jakemkaplan . Testers also did not show Sunday for Angels and one, other unidentified clubs. Tests resume for Astros today.

Washington National’s reliever Sean Doolittle, who usually provides honest and articulate commentary said:  “This has got to get fixed.”  Doolittle has been tested four times, half of which have taken longer than 48 hours to get results. In order to complete the baseball season in this coronavirus environment testing as quick results will keep teams from getting to that 5% threshold that could end any teams season.

Photo:  Yankee Gerrit Cole with Yankee mask on Twitter.

 

New York Yankees News: Preview of tonight’s historic Yankee Matchup

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New York Yankees, J.A. Happ

Tonight the New York Yankees will make history with the first intrasquad televised game of the 2020 summer camp. Yankee fans have been waiting for the boys of summer to take to the field ever since MLB shut down operations back in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This whole season will undeniably go down in baseball history, some positive, most negative.  After the shutdown, the sides made an agreement to allow players full payment based on the season that would be half as long as normal.  No one knew at the time that the season would be even shorter and the owners wanted the players to share in the losses that would be suffered due to no players in the stands or no concession sales.

That was not to be had by the players in contentious negotiations that dragged on for months.  Finally, Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred imposed a 60 game season in 66 games at full prorated play for the players.  Now that that is settled and all the safety protocols are in place to protect players, summer camp has started.

Last night the YES Network announced that the New York Yankees would have two exhibition intrasquad games this week, one tonight and one on Tuesday night that would allow Yankee fans to see their new pitching ace Gerrit Cole start in the game.

Tonight’s game at 7 pm on the network will feature J.A. Happ’s Yankee squad facing Clarke Schmidt’s squad.  The game will likely not go the full normal nine innings and other pitchers will most likely see action as the game progresses.

DJ LeMahieu and Luis Cessa will not be in the games as they have both tested positive for the coronavirus and are quarantined at home.

New York Yankee fans are chomping at the bit to see their New York Yankee players on the field even if it’s just an intrasquad game.  The Yankees have chosen two of their best performing pitchers from spring training 1.0 to face each other in this long-awaited test for both pitchers.

J.A. Happ was 12-8 last season with an elevated 4.91 ERA, however, the Yankees went 20-11 in games that Happ started.  In spring training 1.0, Happ had the best record for any Yankee pitcher that pitched at least ten innings.  In 4 games, all starts, Happ went 2-0 with a tiny ERA of just 1.38 across 13 innings.

After Clarke Schmidt missing the first year of his professional career to Tommy John surgery, Schmidt looked sharp in the first spring training.  He went 0-0 in 4 games and seven innings with a very respectable 2.57 ERA. Presently Jordan Montgomery is slated to be the fifth starter in a short season that is going to miss Domingo German and Luis Severino for the entire season.  Should Montgomery falter Clarke Schmidt and Jonathan Loaisiga would be next in line to take over those duties.

No matter what the outcome of tonight’s friendly game, Yankee baseball is back, and Yankee fans couldn’t be happier.

New York Yankees 7/6: Live Yankee game tonight on TV, and weekend news roundup

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Finally, New York Yankees fans will have a live baseball game to watch on TV.  The YES Network will televise the first Yankee intrasquad game since the shut down of spring training in March at the George M. Steinbrenner training complex in Tampa.  The prime time game will be at Yankee Stadium at 7 pm with coverage starting at 6 pm.  The game will be started by J.A. Happ facing the intrasquad Yankee rookie Clark Schmidt. Happ went 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in the shutdown spring training. Other pitchers will surely get in on the action.

With only seventeen days before the first game of the season on July 23, in Washington D.C. against the Nationals, the New York Yankee manager Aaron Boone said yesterday that he “wanted to get in as many live reps as possible. With a shorter amount of time [to prepare], we want pitchers in game action and build up pitch counts, we’ll go easy as far as running and getting out of the box.”

The YES Network will also televise another intrasquad game at 7 pm on Tuesday.  That game will have Gerrit Cole starting.  Both games will likely be six or seven-inning affairs as the players’ build-up for the regular season.  Manager Boone indicated that would be more exhibition games.

Masahiro Tanaka doing well after taking a hit

In case you missed the big headline at the start of summer camp. On Saturday New York Yankee pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, in a sim game took a Giancarlo Stanton comebacker off the head and immediately dropped to the ground where he lay motionless for minutes, before being helped off the field.

Tanka was taken to the hospital for an MRI and tests and was released a few hours later.  Yesterday on Twitter Tanaka said he was “all good” and thanked all his supporters for their encouragement.  Tanaka was at the Stadium yesterday.  Tanaka was diagnosed with a mild concussion. The next few days will be telling for if he will miss more than a few days.

39 MLB players test positive for COVID-19, two are Yankees

With the start of summer camp across baseball 39 players have tested positive for the coronavirus, and more are sure to be added to that list. Two New York Yankees are on that list.  New York Yankees MVP 2nd baseman DJ. LeMahieu and Yankee reliever Luis Cessa.

DJ LeMahieu is asymptomatic and Luis Cessa has very mild symptoms, as reported by the Yankees. Neither player had yet reached Yankee Stadium and are at home self quarantining. Manager Aaron Boone is hoping they won’t be out too long and may return before the end of summer camp. It has been reported that team infection rates of as much as 5% will not affect play.  Right now that figure is at just over 1%, which is far below the national average.

No New York Yankees are expected to opt-out of the season.

New York Yankee manager Aaron Boone has said that he doesn’t expect any New York Yankee player to opt-out due to the coronavirus.  The agreement between MLB and MLBPA (players union) states that any player that feels uncomfortable with playing during the pandemic may opt-out. Other teams are not that lucky.

The Los Angeles Dodgers got a double hit when new pitcher David Price and Mookie Betts, both former Red Sox announced they will opt-out. The new Atlanta Brave Felix Hernandez has opted out of the season. Others who have opted out are the Washington Nationals Ryan Zimmerman, Wellington Castillo, and Joe Ross, the Colorado Rockie Ian Desmond, and the Giants Tyson Ross. More are likely to follow in the coming days.

Gleyber Torres transitions back to short

Tonight Yankee fans will get to see Gleyber Torres play at short in his first game of summer camp.  Torres through his minor league days was a shortstop but the Yankees transitioned him to 2nd base, now the Yankees are putting him back at short.

Last year with an injury to Didi Gregorius that caused him to miss some of the season, Torres for the most part filled in for him. DJ LeMahieu covered 2nd base with MVP perfection.  Over the postseason the Yankees decided to let Gregorius go to the Phillies and make Torres their opening day shortstop.  Fans and the Yankee brass will be watching to see how successful he can be.

“I feel pretty good these first couple of days [of camp],’’ said Torres, who was in Tampa for part of the shutdown. “During the quarantine, I prepared myself well. There were not too many options for fields. I [watched] a lot of videos of myself, trying to get ready for shortstop.”

 

New York Yankees: The Future Looks Bright For These Three Youngsters

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees just released their summer camp rosters so let’s look and see who on the list we might see in Pinstripes one day. Three players come to mind.  All of them are pitchers. 

Let’s begin with the 20-year pitching machine Deivi Garcia (currently ranked 92nd on MLB’s top 100). Garcia has everyone talking about him and is closer than ever to getting his shot in the big leagues. He has a nasty arsenal of pitches with a screaming fastball and a knee-buckling curve ball. He has climbed up the minor league ladder quickly in the last 3 years and was the youngster most consistently in the spotlight this past Spring. Let’s look at the numbers. 

He started getting attention in 2018 when he put up an astonishing 1.27 ERA in 5 starts with the Tampa Tarpons. In mid-2018 he optioned to the Charleston River Dogs where he struggled in his first few starts but finished strong enough to be called up to the Trenton Thunder late that season. He had just one outing, but pitched a very productive 5 shutout innings.   

Garcia again received an invite to extended Spring Training with the Tampa Tarpons in 2019 where he finished with a 3.06 ERA over 17.2 innings. He was again called up to the Trenton Thunder and held his own finishing with a 3.86 ERA in 11 starts. 

Garcia made his Triple-A debut with the Rail Riders bullpen in late 2019. While he struggled in his first two starts there, he improved over time and ended with a 5.40 ERA.

He got his first invite to Spring Training in 2020. He finished with a 7.36 ERA after 7 innings pitched in a season cut short by COVID-19.  That was not the performance Garcia wanted, but the spotlight hasn’t shifted and the Yankees know he gets better with time. Despite his Spring Training performance, the higher-ups are expecting Garcia to positively impact the Yankees very soon.  At just 20-years old, he has plenty of time to do just that.  Look to see Deivi Garcia’s name in the big leagues at some point in the future. 

The next pitching stud that is opening eyes in the organization is 23-year old pitching phenom Clarke Schmidt (currently ranked 88th on MLB’s top 100). Schmidt is another player that’s climbed the Yankees ladder quickly after being drafted by the Yanks in 2018. Schmidt’s nasty breaking ball makes players whiff. 

The first rounder has surprised everyone in the organization with his quick development.  In 2018 he pitched in the Gulf Coast League and also played for the Staten Island Yankees. He finished the year with a 3.09 ERA in 23 innings.  With shockingly good numbers in 2018, he was invited to Tampa for extended Spring Training. He had great numbers with the Tarpons, finishing with a 3.84 ERA in 12 starts. He returned to the Gulf Coast League where he started three games finishing with a 3.24 ERA. From there, he was pulled up to Double-A to play with the Trenton Thunder. His time with the Thunder was short due to the late call-up, but he started 3 games and finished with a phenomenal 2.37 ERA leading to an invite to join the Yankees in Tampa for his first Spring Training. He was a member of the bullpen for the beginning of Spring Training and handled that adjustment with ease, finishing with a 2.57 ERA in 7 innings.

Schmidt looked great in Tampa and used his breaking ball effectively. Clarke Schmidt is definitely one of the names to watch in the future. 

The final stud on the list is 22-year old, right-handed pitcher, Miguel Yajure. There are higher ranked pitchers in the organization but I see something special with Miguel’s ability to dominate deep in counts and get players to swing and miss. Miguel has some nasty pitches in his arsenal.  During our recent interview, he told me he is most confident throwing his change-up. He is creeping up in the rankings and gaining recognition but still doesn’t get talked about enough. 

He has been with the Yankees since he was 17-years old and has improved every year. In 2018, started 14 games with the Charleston River Dogs and finished with a 3.90 ERA. He played the majority of his 2019 season with the Tampa Tarpons and pitched in 22 games (started in 18) and finished with an incredible 2.26 ERA in 127 innings of work. Heads were turning quickly and he was called up to Double-A to play with the Trenton Thunder. While he only started in 2 games he dominated both, finishing with a 0.86 ERA over 11 innings. Based on his performance in 2019, he was invited to join the Yankees down in Tampa for Spring Training where he pitched in 2 games, giving up 3 runs over 2.1 innings pitched. 

Yajure’s resume speaks for itself and he is really due to make some noise soon.  

All three pitchers are extremely talented and trending up in the rankings.  Don’t be surprised to see one or more in the Bronx soon. Their future truly looks bright!

New York Yankees News: Yankee prospects want a season and sooner than later

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New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt

The New York Yankees and all MLB teams sit waiting while the negotiations between owners and players seem to be at a standstill.  The reason there haven’t been breakthrough centers around health issues and money.  The health issues have been addressed even though some players have said the risk is too high.  The biggest stumbling block to getting a deal done is the owners’ plan for revenue sharing, which the MLPA has said is dead on arrival.  At this point, neither side seems willing to blink.

If no deal can be reached, the baseball season will be canceled.  If the negotiations go on and on without resolution, the season will be defacto canceled as time will run out to have a viable season.  If the season is canceled, it could have a negative effect on many player’s careers, including players that will become free agents at the end of the season, whether there is one or not.  However, the effect on many Yankee prospects may be even more costly. When you take a year away, that cannot be replaced, and several New York Yankee prospects want to advance to the Stadium this year.

Clarke Schmidt, pitcher

If there is one player chomping at the bit to play, it’s Clarke Schmidt. He is just itching to see the big time, and he believes he is fully ready. Yankee scouts saw something in Schmidt when the New York Yankees took him in the 2017 draft even though he needed Tommy John Surgery.  But that gamble paid off last season when he had an ERA of 3.84 in twelve games at high A Tampa with 69 strikeouts.  Once he was promoted to Trenton AA, he pitched even better, bringing that ERA down to 2.37 across 19 innings in three games.

In the abruptly shortened spring training this year, he impressed in four games.  He pitched for seven innings with an ERA of 2.57 and eight strikeouts and whip of 1.714.  The 24-year-old has in two seasons advanced from #62 prospect to #2. Schmidt has a mid-90s fastball, a deceptive changeup, and a slider that has been billed above-average. For a player advancing so quickly, a year off could be detrimental to his career.

Luis Medina, pitcher

Medina is another right-hand pitcher that the Yankees really like. Medina is blessed with phenomenal fastball velocity in the upper 90s, a great hook, but the righty has had problems with control. He pitched poorly in Advanced-A last season with far too many walks allowed. Nevertheless, he was promoted to the Charleston River Dogs, where things seemed to turn around, where he pitched to a .084 ERA.  With him seemingly gaining control, no play could have an adverse effect. Medina at 21 has time to develop.

Deivi Garcia, pitcher

Deivi Garcia was once a number one prospect but has slipped down to number three in most listings.  Garcia has had his struggles. In 2017 at Tampa high A, Garcia had impressive success pitching to an ERA of 1.27, but in 2018 he had an up and down year. 2019 was a bit better; between Tampa and Trenton, he was 4-6 ERA of 3.43.  He earned a promotion to Scranton Wilkes/Barre, where his tired early in games and basically fell apart.  In six games, he was 1-3 with an inflated 5.40 ERA.  In spring training, he failed to impress. Whether time off helps or hurts Garcia is questionable.

Anthony Volpe, infielder

The New York Yankees have high hopes for Volpe. Volpe is an infielder, but shortstop is his desire and where he plays best.  The Yankees can see Volpe with a future, staffing that position. During spring training, he didn’t get to show his stuff, playing in only one game.  In 2019 he played in 34 games at Pulaski. He hit .215 with two homers but with an OPS of .704 with a .936 fielding percentage.  Volpe is only 19 and is still developing.  Missing a season is not going to aid in that development.

There are also other prospects like pitcher Luis Gil and Roansy Contreras that also would like to see some playing time this year.  You might notice I have left Jasson Dominguez and Estevan Florial off the list.   Jasson, although the top Yankee prospect at 17, is still a year or two away from the bigs although he continues to work out in the Dominican Republic.  Florial has dropped off the Yankees top 10 prospect list, after having a sub-par season in the minors and when called up.  With the minor league season canceled this year, lack off of play could be a significant issue with many of these players.

New York Yankees: Clarke Schmidt’s family is helping him stay in shape during the extended break

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New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt

MLB was supposed to start on March 26. However, due to concerns about the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, play was stopped and the start of the 2020 season was pushed back. There is, as of now, no set date to resume spring training and begin playing games that matter. However, that hasn’t stopped New York Yankees‘ hurler Clarke Schmidt, who is still preparing at home for whenever public health and MLB officials consider that the conditions to play are acceptable.

Schmidt said he was throwing to Cincinnati Reds’ catcher Tyler Stephenson, his buddy, before the state of Georgia (where he lives) implemented a full-on lockdown. Now, he has other partners helping him stay in shape.

Schmidt told Brendan Kuty in a long, entertaining interview for NJ.com that his brother Clete, who used to play professional baseball and retired this past year,is catching his bullpens. “He’s extremely athletic,” he said.

The Yankees’ prospect is getting ready and breaking down video

The promising pitcher said that while doesn’t have the Edgertronic at his house, he does have “certain types of cameras that aren’t as high speed as obviously the other ones. But whether it’s a small video or whatever it might be, I’ve been able to have my father or my mom or whoever it may be video taping.”

His family is helping him reach the major leagues, which could happen as soon as this year as things stand. The Yankees may need fresh arms if expanded rosters are going to be in play.

So, what is Schmidt looking in his videos? “I want to look at release and finger release and you can slow it down enough to where you can see noticeable differences and you can look at axises. You can make Sharpie balls where you color with the Sharpie on the ball to see where the ball is spinning when it comes off your fingers. It will tell you the axis on some of your pitches. I’ve been doing that, working on some stuff with different pitches and stuff like that.”

In four spring training games and seven innings, Schmidt had a 2.57 ERA for the New York Yankees. He had a good showing, and while he will ideally benefit from a bit more seasoning in the minors, he could certainly hold his own in the bigs if that’s the case.