Clarke Schmidt's Return Could Provide Big Lift for Yankees Bullpen

The veteran starting pitcher could provide the New York Yankees with some important innings.

New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt (36) could be a factor in the team's bullpen plans down the stretch. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One thing the New York Yankees needed to do was add bullpen help, preferably of the high-end variety, the way they did when they landed David Bednar last year. Brian Cashman opted against it, citing that the market wasn't favorable to him.

It does feel like what the Yankees are doing right now is looking to fix things internally with returning players, and while that isn't a good enough excuse for not adding when the teams in the division around Cashman did their job, that's the situation they're left with. One of those returning arms who can be of some aid is Clarke Schmidt, who went down with a UCL tear last July.

New York Yankees hurler Clarke Schmidt (36) could return to the team any day now after missing significant time due to a UCL tear. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Manager Aaron Boone said that Schmidt is on the right track after an injury scare during his rehab.

"Clarke, we feel like, is probably good to go," Boone said, according to the New York Post's Mark W. Sanchez. "He got a lot of treatment Tuesday. The doc didn't seem overly concerned."

Schmidt's stuff

It probably wouldn't make much sense for Schmidt to return as a starter at this point, so if he's going to make any impact, he likely goes to the bullpen. He could provide the type of innings expected of Carlos Lagrange before he went down himself. Granted, Schmidt doesn't come equipped with Lagrange's overpowering stuff.

In 2024 and 2025, Schmidt hit as high as 96 MPH as a starter. He would be able to just let it rip coming out of the bullpen instead of needing to pace himself the way he does as a starter. Schmidt hardly used his heater as a starter, since it was his least-used pitch, and he chose to go with the cutter more instead, but it could be something he goes to a little more often coming out of the bullpen.

Schmidt also has a wicked knuckle curveball. Before going down last season, hitters hit .153 with a .203 slugging against it. He put away 23.1% of batters with it, according to Baseball Savant.

Starting and coming out of the bullpen are two completely different ways of thinking

Of course, pitching out of the bullpen and starting are two totally separate mentalities. One involves preparing that day and getting your head right mentally. The other is a more volatile situation, and a pitcher can enter a game at any moment. Schmidt has the stuff, but it will be whether he has the psyche for it, since it is something he has rarely done in his career.

This is just the spot the Yankees are in, though. Cashman didn't add at the deadline, so it's on guys like Schmidt to staple this bullpen together.

The Dodgers did it last postseason with Roki Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow, but those guys have otherworldly stuff. It's not to say that Schmidt's stuff is bad, but nobody would say he's as overpowering as Sasaki and Glasnow. Schmidt can't hit triple digits and challenge batters by overpowering them.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) and Roki Sasaki (11) played huge roles out of the bullpen last year. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There aren't many options for Schmidt to get big league innings anyway. The rotation is full, and if he wants to be a starter, the only other option is Triple-A. That wouldn't help his big league club at all.

If Schmidt does come out of the bullpen in October, all he can hope for is that it goes better than the last time he did. That came in the 2022 ALDS when the Cleveland Guardians walked it off against him.

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