How the Yankees' gamble on young, injured Clarke Schmidt led to an ALCS opportunity

Chad Holbrook sat across from Clarke Schmidt and delivered the worst news. The results of the MRI scan of Schmidt's elbow revealed a complete tear of his ulnar collateral ligament. He would need Tommy John surgery. He would be sidelined for at least a year.

It was April 2017.

In two months, Schmidt, then a highly regarded junior starting pitcher at the University of South Carolina, hoped to be taken in the first round of the MLB draft, which would guarantee him millions of dollars and the opportunity to fulfill his childhood dream of pitching in the MLB realize major subjects.

But at this moment?

“Kid was devastated,” said Holbrook, then South Carolina’s head coach.

However, Schmidt's head wasn't down for long. Holbrook recalled running into the then 21-year-old again less than an hour later in the team's clubhouse.

His facial expression had changed. His eyes were dry.

“It’s OK,” Schmidt told Holbrook. “I’m going to attack this thing and everything will be okay.”

Seven years later, Schmidt has proven time and time again that his words were right that day, and he'll try again when he takes the mound for the New York Yankees against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday .

Clarke Schmidt has been signed to start Game 3 on Thursday, where he can help lead the Yankees to a road win in the World Series. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)

If the Yankees win, they'll move to 3-0 with a win under their belt and reach their first World Series since 2009. And it will likely mean Schmidt played a major role in boosting the Yankees' confidence in the selection further confirmed he finished 16th overall, earning him a $2,184,300 bonus, although there was no guarantee he would regain the form he had in college before Tommy John.

Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees' amateur scouting director, said the Yankees were aware of the risk they were taking by investing a high draft pick on an injured player. But Schmidt's character convinced her.

The Yankees began scouting Schmidt when he was in high school at Georgia and saw a jump in his skills in his sophomore year. The more they got to know him, the more they liked it. Schmidt seemed to come from a supportive family — his father, Dwight, was a pilot in the Marines. His older brother Clate, who played at Clemson and in the minor leagues, beat cancer. The Yankees' mental coach gave his composition a high grade: “Elite,” said Oppenheimer.

“(Schmidt) was really positive,” Oppenheimer added. “That was special. Knowing what we had before the operation and knowing the person we were capable of, you just knew that this guy was going to put in all the work it takes to come back from something like that – and he would get even better.

“It was his mentality (and) the way he talked to you. He was kind of a man when he talked to you.”

Holbrook saw it too. He coached several pitchers who made it to the major leagues and even pitched for the Yankees, including Andrew Miller, Jordan Montgomery and Adam Warren. While many Division I players have great talent, work ethic can be a deciding factor, Holbrook said. Schmidt had it left.

And he had courage. Holbrook's favorite memory of Schmidt was watching him dominate Auburn in 2017. It was a Saturday, and the night before, Casey Mize, the Detroit Tigers' No. 1 overall pick in 2018, had beaten South Carolina. When Schmidt pitched the next day, he struck out Auburn, throwing eight scoreless innings and striking out ten batters. Schmidt wanted to prove that Mize wasn't the only prospect to get excited about, Holbrook said.

“Maybe one of the best pitching performances I’ve ever seen from any of my pitchers, and I’ve seen some good pitchers,” said Holbrook, now the head coach at the College of Charleston.

Clarke Schmidt quickly emerged as one of the best pitchers in college baseball, due in part to his work ethic. (Tony Farlow/Four Seam Images via AP Images)

Oppenheimer recalled how Schmidt struck out Vanderbilt hitters with 11 strikeouts in seven innings that same season. After the game, Oppenheimer called a Vanderbilt coach and asked him what his hitters said about Schmidt.

“They said, 'Oh, we couldn't see the baseball,'” Oppenheimer recalls. “There was a deception. The fastball got on the guys’ nerves. They just couldn't pick him up. It was one of those starts where he thought, “This guy is a good first-round pick.” Then he got beat. After that we got lucky.”

To Yankees manager Aaron Boone, Schmidt's confidence was obvious the first time he saw him closely. It was the summer of 2020. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Yankees had to practice in July before Opening Day three weeks later in the Bronx without a fan in the stands. Schmidt had not yet pitched in the majors, but his skills rivaled those of any other Yankees pitcher at the time.

“He had a presence and a swagger about him,” Boone said. “He’s never had that before.”

Last season, Schmidt established himself in the Yankees' rotation with 32 starts. He was one of the better starters in the majors this season. Schmidt went 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA in his first 11 starts before a right lat strain forced him on the IL for three months. When he returned, he went 0-2 with a 3.65 ERA in five starts, and the Yankees brought him in to start Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the Kansas City Royals on the road. They chose him over Luis Gil, a candidate for AL rookie of the year, because they had a feeling for Schmidt.

While Gil may have some of the best skills in baseball, Schmidt simply seemed ready to handle a hostile environment with so much at stake. It worked. The Yankees won and Schmidt lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up just two earned runs.

When asked what gives him the pride Boone raves about, Schmidt pointed to his Christian faith. He then pointed to what Oppenheimer and Holbrook identified in him years ago: work ethic.

“I trust myself,” Schmidt said.

He said he couldn't wait to silence what was expected to be a rowdy crowd in Cleveland on Thursday.

“Pitching on the street with fans at your throat,” he said, “it's kind of fun to have the opportunity to shut them up whenever you want to get the job done.”

Not unlike how Schmidt silenced any doubts he had after learning he would need major surgery while he was about to begin his MLB career.

“It was a devastating moment, but he handled it like a rock,” Holbrook said. “Couldn’t be prouder of him.”

(Top photo of Schmidt pitching at ALDS: Ed Zurga / Getty Images)