KANSAS CITY -- For a rotation that’s already lost three starters due to injury, Clarke Schmidt is quickly becoming one of the Yankees’ most reliable pitchers.
The 29-year-old continued his strong start to the 2025 season with six scoreless frames against the Royals in the Yankees’ 6-3 series-clinching victory on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium.
Schmidt struck out seven -- one shy of his career high -- and allowed just two hits to toss his second six-inning scoreless gem in his past three starts. Schmidt has gotten through the sixth inning five times in his 10 starts this season -- matching the same number he reached in 32 outings in 2023 (his most recent full season).
"I think every time I go out there, I’m getting stronger and stronger as far as pitch mix [goes] and more confident in who I am as a pitcher,” Schmidt said. “… It’s a constant tinkering process and figuring out who you are. I think we’re doing a good job of that.”
On Wednesday, Schmidt utilized all five of his pitches to disrupt Royals hitters. He stuck with his cutter (33 pitches) and sweeper (24) the most, but also threw his knuckle curve (18), four-seam fastball (11) and sinker (five) quite a bit. Using all his pitches was a key manager Aaron Boone wanted to see from Schmidt pregame, and by postgame, he was left impressed.
"I thought it might have been one of his best mix all year,” Boone said. “… I thought he kind of had it all working a little bit. And that’s when he’s at his best. That allows him to be really efficient with right and left-handed hitters and gives him different looks and not boxing himself into being really predictable. I thought he did a really good job of that tonight.”
Schmidt, who has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his 10 starts this season, dropped his ERA to a season-best 3.60. In fact, the only runs Schmidt has allowed in his past three starts came in the first inning in Cleveland -- outside of that Schmidt has put up a zero in every other frame.
"Obviously, I feel confident in all my pitches right now,” Schmidt said. “I think it’s just being more OK with not having to throw certain pitches in certain counts that I typically would. And not being scared to be on the attack and throw all of my pitches in all counts.”
For a Yankees team that has already lost Gerrit Cole for the season and is still a few weeks away at best before both Marcus Stroman and Luis Gil return to the big league club, Schmidt’s ability to not only provide depth -- but limit the damage – has been crucial for a Yankees (41-25) club that entered the day 13th in MLB in starter’s ERA despite the brilliance of Max Fried (1.84) and Carlos Rodón (2.87), who both rank inside the top 20 in baseball in ERA.
Schmidt, who missed a large portion of the 2024 season due to a right lat strain before starting the 2025 season on the IL because of right rotator cuff tendinitis, is now settling in as the Yankees’ No. 3 starter. He’s already at 55 innings, just 30 1/3 shy of matching the second most he’s thrown in a season during his big league career, which stretches back to 2020.
"I thought he looked really good," said Cody Bellinger, whose leadoff triple in the second sparked a five-run frame. "I mean, I was just kind of out there in the outfield just hanging out. He was pounding the zone, getting a lot of swings-and-misses, and it was good to play behind him.”
Aaron Judge’s 25th homer of the season in the seventh inning and the Yankees’ Major League-leading 17th five-run frame this season in the second was more than enough support for Schmidt. But he and the bullpen had some defensive help as well.
Center fielder Trent Grisham made two diving catches, both of which had to be overturned to outs after review, while earning an assist by throwing out Maikel Garcia attempting to stretch a single into a double to begin the fourth.
“I owe him big time,” Schmidt said. “He’s [won] two Gold Gloves for a reason. He’s so impressive and to be able to have a guy out there in an outfield this big to cover that much ground. … I've got to get him a bottle of wine for that.”