Written by Greg Fertel
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18 June 2007
- Age: 22
- Height: 6'4"
- Weight: 200 lbs
- Drafted: 9th round in 2003 out of High School.
- Position: Starting Pitcher
- Throws: Right
Scouting Report: Clippard throws a fastball from 88-92 mph, throwing all of his body at the batter to create some mild deception. He backs it up with very good curveballs and changeups. Clippard's problem arises when he's not in control of his fastball. Most of the time, he manages to successfully throw his whole body at the hitter and throw a well-located strike. However, he sometimes gets out of sync and loses his control. Clippard is the kind of pitcher who needs to be mentally ready to pitch with success. He's had mostly good control in the minors, but has fallen into funks before, like the one we saw in the majors.
History: The Yankees have worked Clippard steadily through the minors, moving him up one level every year. He spent 2003 in rookie ball after being drafted, striking out 56 and walking 5 in 43 2/3 dominant innings. Clipp spent 2004 in A ball, pitching 149 innings with a 3.44 ERA and striking out 145 batters while walking 32. He pitched the whole of 2005 in Tampa, where he started to get attention by pitching 153 inings with 181 strikeouts 34 walks, and a 3.18 ERA. He spent 2006 with Trenton, struggling at first but coming alive in July and August, pitching 166 innings with 175 strikeouts, 55 walks, and a 3.33 ERA in a run of ridiculously good pitching that even included a no-hitter. Clippard led the minors in strikeouts from 2004-2006 and has never been injured.
This Season: Clippard struggled to find his groove in Scranton, giving up 8 runs in his first 14 innings. He settled down, pitching 24 innings in his next 4 starts, allowing just 4 runs and striking out 23. Injuries to half the Yankee organization forced the Yankee's hand, and they called him up. I wrote just before his debut that "In an ideal world, Clippard would stay in the minors for another month or two." - I was right. Clippard showed promise, but proved that he's not ready, yet. The final MLB line was 27 innings, 6 starts, and a 6.33 ERA, with 18 strikeouts and 17 walks.
Outlook and Movement: Right now, it would take a few things to happen for Clipp to make it back to the majors this season. One, there could be catastrophic injuries at the MLB level. Two, he could pitch well enough in AAA to warrant another look if Kei Igawa falters. Or, finally, he could be traded. If the Yankees are looking for an upgrade at 1st or DH this season, he's the most logical movable piece. With Kennedy, Chamberlain, Horne, and of course Hughes looking for major league spots as soon as next year, there isn't a lot of reason to not trade him. His value still has to be high after not embarrassing himself in the majors, and he's still only 22 years old. That's the beauty of having the Yankee's enormous pitching depth.
Ranking: I still like Clippard. What I saw in the majors was pretty clear: a guy who started off very well, but got gun shy after being hit hard a few times. I can't think that Torre's quick hook in his second through fourth starts helped. Without confidence, Clippard was reduced to the terrible pitcher we saw in that final homestand. Look, Clippard wasn't ready for the majors. Rushed pitchers are still supposed to blow up. This kind of reminds me of Melky Cabrera in 2005. He got called up, and looked very bad in center at the age of 20. Everyone thought that "This guy sucks", but Brian Cashman said something very telling on WFAN that offseason. Cashman said roughly "Just making it to the majors is an accomplishment at his age, regardless of performance". Clippard was 22 years old and was just the 2nd or 3rd High School pitcher in his draft class to make it to the majors. That's impressive. I like the way his secondary pitches work when his fastball can be located. He's my #5 prospect.
