It’s been months since Yankees fans have watched Clarke Schmidt pitch, and his last outing before hitting the IL left a somewhat disappointing impression. However, it’s important not to forget the stellar season he was having before his injury.
The saying “an injured player returning is like a trade deadline addition” might be overused, but in Schmidt’s case, his return could indeed be significant, even if it takes him a few weeks to get back into form. There will still be enough time for him to ramp up and contribute to a potential playoff run.
If Schmidt is capable of pitching five or six innings by the end of October, he deserves a spot in the playoff rotation. Even if he’s only ready for four strong innings, imagine bringing in Luis Gil for the fifth. While Marcus Stroman appears to be losing steam, Schmidt seems to be gaining momentum, reporting positively after a live BP session prior to Tuesday’s rainout. He’s preparing to return as a starter, and with his 2.52 ERA, nearly 10 strikeouts per nine innings, and 94th percentile breaking run value on his knuckle curve, the Yankees shouldn’t hesitate to slot him back into the rotation.
It’s premature to finalize a playoff rotation given the uncertainties and the Yankees’ current playoff position. However, Schmidt demonstrated in April and May that he had made significant improvements. No longer vulnerable to left-handed hitters—who had batted .303 against him with an .875 OPS the previous season—Schmidt learned to utilize his knuckle curve effectively, holding lefties to a .209 average and .614 OPS, outperforming his performance against righties (.239/.706).
Schmidt accumulated an impressive 1.9 bWAR in just 11 starts before his injury. While some of the optimism surrounding Schmidt may stem from his absence preventing any mid-season regression (as seen with Stroman and Carlos Rodón), his time away has also kept him fresher than his counterparts for the final stretch.
If Schmidt is indeed ready to return by the end of August, the Yankees will have a month to ensure he is back to his best. Assuming all goes well, the Schmidt who pitched so effectively in April and May deserves a significant role in the playoff rotation and should be given the chance to contribute as much as he can.
