RailRiders pitching alums may have to step up a year early for Yankees

TAMPA, Fla. — Their year was supposed to be 2021. With Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ all likely to become free agents after this season, the Yankees’ most promising young arms were at major league camp this spring as a way to get them ready for next season — when at least one or two would be expected to step in.

But like all of the best-laid plans this season, the coronavirus pandemic has thrown all that out the window. With the league and players union haggling over the financial foundation to start a shortened 2020 season, Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt and Michael King will likely get a chance to prove themselves ahead of schedule.

Monday night, the owners were planning to send back to the union a counterproposal that would cut the number of regular-season games down to 50. The players are expected to reject it, but the owners could then press forward with a shortened season under an agreement they made in March with the MLBPA, in which the players agreed to prorated salaries for however games are able to be played.

While the union and players haggle over the details, which will include having to still hammer out the health and safety protocols, one near-sure thing is that the shortened ramp-up and condensed season will allow teams to carry extra players — likely 30.

The Yankees, like most teams, will likely stock up on arms to deal with the situation. Pitching coach Matt Blake indicated he would like at least 15 pitchers to get through this kind of intense schedule.

For the Yankees, Garcia, Schmidt and King are the most intriguing options who could be contributing this season, either in the rotation or the bullpen. So, let’s take a look at the three most likely to be playing in pinstripes this year, beginning with Garcia today.

Schmidt and King evaluations will follow later this week.

Garcia, 21, was rising through the system so fast last season that there was speculation he could make his major league debut in 2019. He has been considered the Yankees’ top pitching prospect, but is now being challenged by Schmidt, who is older, but with less professional pitching experience.

Going from high-A Tampa to Triple-A Scranton in just under three months, however, Garcia stalled when they tried to use him out of the bullpen in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Listed at 5-foot-9 but seeming smaller in person, his size and delivery are a little reminiscent of two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.

“He misses bats,” one scout who saw him last season said. “He isn’t overpowering, he just mixes it up well and has really good stuff.”

Garcia’s fastball sits 90-95 miles an hour, but he effectively mixes in a devastating curveball, an effective changeup and a slider, which is new to his repertoire.

“His breaking ball is what makes him special,” the NL scout said this spring. “He has some command issues with his fastball.”

Several scouts said that Garcia’s command would be considered “below average,” and two said that would worry them. But he has the ability to throw strikes with his breaking pitches, which makes up for that.

In fact, Garcia struck 33 batters in 17.2 innings pitched in High-A ball and an eye-popping 37% of the batters he faced in Double-A. In Triple-A, Garcia struck out 45 over 40 innings pitched.

Garcia’s curveball is his best pitch, sitting 76 to 79 miles an hour with a sharp break, and he throws it for strikes.

“The way he approaches pitching is very mature,” said another talent evaluator. “He knows how to use his best stuff. He uses the curveball effectively.”

The scout added that one other thing that impressed him about the 21-year-old pitching in his first big league camp was his presence.

“He was composed on the mound, knew what he wanted to do,” the scout said. “He’s smaller, but he has a good mound presence.”

The three scouts agreed that Garcia projects as a back-of-the rotation starter who could be an even more dynamic multi-inning reliever (or opener) like Chad Green.