Gerrit Cole has a big name. Carlos Rodón has big money. But perhaps no starting pitcher has been as reliable for the Yankees this season as Clarke Schmidt, the right-hander who will start Game 3 at Yankee Stadium.
The 28-year-old was 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA this season. He made 16 starts but missed significant time with a right lat strain. In each of his two outings this postseason, Clarke went 4 2/3 innings and surrendered two earned runs.
Against the Dodgers, Clarke will unleash his cutter heavy repertoire. He added the pitch before the 2023 season, and this past winter, he focused on creating more consistent separation between his cutter and sweeper.
“Last year was the first full year of throwing the cutter,” Schmidt said. “So there was a lot of growing pains with that. I think there were times in the year where it would be really, really good, and then over the course of 32 starts, you would kind of lose feel for that, and maybe you lose feel for your other pitches.”
The results of his offseason efforts speak for themselves. The whiff rate on Schmidt’s cutter jumped from 22.2 percent to 32.2 percent this year. Opponents hit just .210 with a 29.7 percent whiff rate against his sweeper. He keeps a strong curveball tucked in his back pocket. He lives on the outside corner to right-handers and attacks lefties with his sinker and cutter on opposite sides of the plate.
Schmidt has pitched in the major leagues for parts of five seasons, but this is only his second full year as a starter. He has never faced the Dodgers before. This is quite the introduction to the national scene.
“Obviously this has been a great playoffs for all the teams and a lot of high level games being played,” Schmidt said. “And I think that’s credit to hyperfocus. When you’re in these situations and you’re playing in these atmospheres, it just can take your game to another level if you let it.”
