TJ Sikkema

This New York Yankees’ prospect is making some bucks while helping his community

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With the coronavirus pandemic, MLB had to halt the start of the season indefinitely. Right now, the league owners are engaged in negotiations with the union to discuss salary compensation and other health standards in order to return to play, but talks are stalled. The New York Yankees and the remaining 29 teams are waiting to see if there is going to be baseball in 2020.

While there remains some hope that MLB will have at least a shortened season, the sentiment isn’t the same regarding the minor leagues. Because of all kinds of logistics and financial-related issues, there likely won’t be a season.

That leaves prospects at the mercy of their teams. Some of them will keep paying their weekly stipends throughout the season, others won’t. Each minor leaguer will have to find a way to make some money on the side.

And that’s precisely what New York Yankees’ lefty T.J. Sikkema is doing. When action was stopped in spring training, he, like lots of other minor leaguers, went home to DeWitt, Iowa.

The Yankees wanted to see him pitch, but…

Yes, he has been throwing bullpen sessions and working out, but the day has many hours to fill and the family needs money. So Sikkema, seeing the situation and following the recommendation of his sister, decided to work with DoorDash deliveries and earn some bucks. His girlfriend Amanda Brainerd is joining him, and the money is for her!

Sikkema spoke to the Des Moines Register about his new job. He thought about it for a few days before deciding to give it a go.

“She kind of got us into it,” Sikkema said about his sister’s pitch. “Amanda, one night, we were talking over dinner and she was like, ‘Maybe we should try that, T.J. – it’s really fun.'”

Sikkema is currently being paid a $400 weekly stipend by the Yankees. He is making between $15 and $25 per hour in DoorDash, and he and his girlfriend have a system: T.J. drives and Amanda drops the deliveries to customers.

“It’s not all about the money,” Sikkema said. “It’s a little bit about getting out and it’s a little bit about just trying to help people.”

The 2020 was going to be huge for the Yankees’ farmhand. The team selected him with the 38th overall pick last year, and he pitched 10.2 frames of a 0.84 with Staten Island (Class A short season.)

“I think it was going to be pretty big,” Sikkema said about the year that was awaiting him. “It was going to be my first full year in pro ball. So, I think I had a lot to prove.”

For now, he is making some money and helping out a little in his community. His time will come.

New York Yankees Prospects: T.J. Sikkema

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

The New York Yankees drafted a player last year that checks a lot of boxes for the Yankees. Left-handed starter, T.J. Sikkema was picked by the Yankees in the supplemental first round of last year’s draft. Sikkema who is originally from a small town in Iowa is a stocky lefty that goes right after any hitter that stands sixty feet and six inches away. Sikkema goes right after guys with his fastball, slider, changeup combination. He throws from a number of arm angles which makes his pitches even more deceptive. When Sikkema dials back, his fastball can reach the mid-90s. However, he’s got a great ability to lower the arm angle and add some sink to the pitch with a little less velocity. He’s got a really good changeup and a slider that makes a lot of left-handers look silly. Sikkema dominated at Mizzou and it landed him on broadway getting selected 38th overall by the New York Yankees.

Domination

Last year, Sikkema was incredibly dominant at Mizzou. Known as one of the best pitchers in the SEC, Sikkema went 7-4 with a 1.32 ERA in 17 games. Sikkema caught a lot of scouts attention during the last couple of years. He’s a fierce competitor on the mound that reminds people of another Mizzou pitcher who pitched with a similar ferociousness. Sikkema’s domination didn’t stop at the amateur ranks last year. After getting drafted by the Yankees, Sikkema made four appearances with the Yankees Staten Island affiliate. In those four games, Sikkema posted a 0.84 ERA in 10.2 innings. Sikkema struck out 13 batters in his short work in Staten Island. While Sikkema wasn’t one of the premier picks last year in the draft, there is a lot to like about this kid. Pitchers who try to dance around the corners are not the type of pitchers people want to see. Everyone loves a guy who is going to just go out and give you all of his effort with every single pitch that he throws. T.J. Sikkema is that type of pitcher.

2020 and Beyond

Whenever the 2020 season gets underway, I’m just wanting to see how he continues to do against professional competition. There will probably be some growing pains here and there, but Sikkema has a very high floor, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him knocking on the major league door in a couple of years. For Yankees fans, this is the kind of prospect that you really want to see in the system. A lefty starter that is just going to go right after you.