January 31, 2025

New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt enters the 2025 season coming off his personal best statistical season of his MLB career. During the 2024 season, Schmidt had 16 starts and went (5-5) across 85 1/3 innings with a 2.85 ERA, 26.3% strikeout rate and a 3.58 FIP. Those numbers were achieved despite him missing almost half the season due to a right-lat injury. However, he found success when he was on the mound. During the offseason, the Yankees signed former Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried, and the fourth and fifth spots in the Yankees' rotation are likely up in the air. Currently, they have Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, Marcus Stroman, and Schmidt. However, if the Yankees decide to deploy a six-man rotation, Schmidt should be safely in the rotation. Fantasy managers will want to watch for any news regarding how the Yankees will approach the starting-pitching situation. During the 2024 season, Schmidt heavily relied on his cutter, a pitch he threw 35% of the time. In addition to his cutter, Schmidt utilized his sweeper (25.2%) and sinker (21%) to generate weak contact. Schmidt was in the 81st percentile in barrel percentage, meaning when hitters have made contact, it isn't often finding the sweet spot on their bat. In addition, Schmidt is coming off his best season in Stuff+, a statistic that measures how effective a pitcher's arsenal is. Fantasy managers looking to find a reliable pitcher should target him at his 226.0 ADP on NFBC, which aligns with the 234 overall ranking at RotoBaller.--Nicho Roessler - RotoBaller