Clarke Schmidt’s performance on the mound has drawn attention to his pitching splits against right-handed and left-handed batters, revealing significant disparities in effectiveness. While it’s common for pitchers to fare better against hitters of the same handedness, Schmidt’s struggles against lefties have been particularly pronounced.
Analysis of Schmidt’s performance shows that right-handed batters performed at a level akin to Daulton Varsho or Zach McKinstry against him, while left-handed batters reached the heights of Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger. This disparity posed a challenge for Schmidt, who described facing lefty-heavy lineups as “treading water” as he sought to navigate through them effectively.
Schmidt’s efforts to address this gap primarily centered around his cutter, which gradually became more effective against lefties as the 2023 season progressed. However, despite some promising stretches, his struggles against lefties persisted, culminating in a challenging stretch of performances towards the end of the season.
Entering the current season, there were concerns about Schmidt’s ability to handle left-handed batters. Surprisingly, his performance in the early stages of the season has shown significant improvement in this regard, largely due to the effectiveness of his cutter against lefties.
However, while Schmidt’s issues with lefties appear to be improving, a new challenge has emerged against right-handed batters. Opponents against whom Schmidt should have the platoon advantage are posting impressive numbers against him this season, particularly against his sweeper pitch.
Analysis of Schmidt’s sweeper reveals a potential issue with command, as he has missed location with the pitch more frequently compared to last season. Despite this, there are signs of potential improvement, with metrics indicating that Schmidt may have been somewhat unlucky with the results of his sweeper so far this season.
With only a limited number of games played, it’s premature to draw definitive conclusions about Schmidt’s performance. However, upcoming matchups, such as the one against the righty-heavy lineup of the Rays, will provide valuable insights into Schmidt’s progress and any adjustments he may need to make to maintain his effectiveness on the mound.
