Clarke Schmidt
A cerebral pitcher who refined his craft after Tommy John surgery, emerging as a durable and trusted starter in the Yankees' rotation.
Born 1996 (age 30)·American baseball player·Birthday: February 20·Millennials
Biography
Clarke Schmidt's path to the major leagues was rerouted by reconstructive elbow surgery just as his professional career began, a test of patience that shaped his approach. Drafted in the first round by the Yankees, he spent years rebuilding his arm and arsenal, developing a deep mix of cutters, sinkers, and a sharp knuckle-curve. When his opportunity finally arrived, he seized it not with overpowering velocity but with precision and grit, earning a reputation as a pitcher who studies hitters and executes game plans. Schmidt’s evolution from a prospect in recovery to a mainstay taking the ball every fifth day embodies the less-glamorous, grind-it-out work that sustains a pitching staff over a long season.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Clarke was born in 1996, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clarke Was Born
The biggest hits of 1996
#1 Movie
Independence Day
Best Picture
The English Patient
#1 TV Show
ER
Clarke's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1996Born
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2001Started school
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2009Became a teenager
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2012Could drive
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2014Could vote
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2017Turned 21
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Turned 30
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Pitched a career-high 159 innings in the 2023 season, establishing himself as a reliable member of the Yankees' starting rotation.
- Recorded his first major league win in September 2022 with a five-inning scoreless relief appearance against the Milwaukee Brewers.
- Was named the Yankees' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2019 after returning from Tommy John surgery.
Did You Know?
His brother, Clate Schmidt, is also a professional baseball pitcher who has played in the Detroit Tigers organization.
Schmidt was a standout high school quarterback in Georgia and had college football offers before choosing baseball.
He is an avid chess player and often uses the strategic thinking from the game in his pitching preparation.
“I had to learn how to pitch again, not just throw.”
