Celebrity
Meet Yankees Pitcher Clarke Schmidt’s Super Supportive Family
New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt is primed and ready for the 2024 World Series.
“All the games I pitch are pressure at this point,” the athlete told reporters in October 2024, ahead of World Series Game 3. “It’s something I’ll be ready for, and I’m excited to get back out there.”
The Yankees lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first two games of the 2024 World Series, which were held at Dodger Stadium in California. But they returned to New York with Schmidt at the mound for Game 3 on October 28 — and he stated that he’s ready for anything.
“I treat every game at this point — I think we all do — as a must-win,” he continued. “Whatever the record is, we’re treating each game like we have to win every game. Mentality-wise, nothing’s changing.”
Clarke was drafted by the New York Yankees organization as a first-round pick in 2017. He made his MLB debut three years later as a relief pitcher during a September 2020 game against the Baltimore Orioles.
As he’s continued his career as a Yankees player, Clarke hasn’t forgotten who helped him get to the major leagues. Keep scrolling to meet the pitcher’s family:
Dwight Schmidt
Clarke’s dad, Dwight, is a former Marine Corps reserve and F-18 pilot who now works for Delta. Throughout his childhood, Dwight was deployed on two separate occasions, to Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.
Renee Schmidt
Renee, who works in a boutique in Georgia, was shuttling around both her sons, Clarke and Clate, during their youth — even when her husband was away.
“For her to make those sacrifices, all while working a job and continuing to live her life, it obviously means a lot to me,” Clarke told the Daily News in May 2023 about his mom. “Stuff like that doesn’t go unnoticed to me. She’s made a lot of sacrifices for me.”
He added, “I’ll always be eternally grateful for her and everything that she’s done for me. She had to step up big time, and she did. She’s the best.”
Nana Janet
Clarke’s grandmother has been a big help to their family over the years.
“Clark and Clate both love their Nana,” Renee told the newspaper. “She is a very special lady in their life, too.”
Clate Schmidt
Clarke’s older brother is a former professional baseball player who was part of the Cincinnati Reds organization. Clate was on the Clemson Tigers baseball team from 2013 to 2016 and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2015 but has since recovered.