The Yankees‘ starting rotation has no shortage of star power with Gerrit Cole leading the charge and newly signed Max Fried expected to be a major force. But beneath the big names, Clarke Schmidt could be the quiet breakout candidate the team needs to solidify its pitching staff. Injuries cut his 2024 season short, but when he was on the mound, he was making real strides toward becoming one of the Yankees’ top arms.
Injury Cut His Breakout Short
Schmidt’s season was derailed by a lat injury, limiting him to just 85.1 innings. But in that small sample, he was putting together the best campaign of his career, stepping up at a time when the Yankees desperately needed rotation stability.