The 2017 first-round pick struck out three batters across two scoreless innings in New York’s intrasquad game on Monday.
Clarke Schmidt entered spring training as the No. 88 prospect in MLB.com’s farm system rankings, revving up for a potential spot on the New York Yankees Opening Day roster. Now, almost four months after the season’s postponement (and with a pool of 60 players for Opening Day rosters), Schmidt expressed his confidence in regards to making a difference in 2020.
Following the Yankees intrasquad scrimmage on Monday, Schmidt stood tall with the belief that he can hang with the big boys in the shortened season.
“I think I can produce at this level, I think I can get outs at this level,” Schmidt said via Danny Abriano of SNY. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make this team. I think I’m a Major League Baseball player and I’m going to try to show these guys that I can compete at this level.”
Schmidt’s play did some talking as well. He started the game opposite of J.A. Happ for the Bombers and dished out two scoreless innings with a trio of strikeouts. It was a dream come true for Schmidt, who certainly envisioned his first pitch in Yankee Stadium to come amidst different circumstances.
“For a lot of people it was intrasquad, but it was a lot more to me,” Schmidt said postgame.
The No. 2 prospect in the Yankees farm system struck out Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, and Gio Urshela before exiting. It was a promising first exposure to the big leagues for the 2017 first-rounder, and he likely made a strong case for joining the Yankees at some point this season.
