Clarke Schmidt Thinks Yankees Sent Astros a Message With Sweep
The New York Yankees are riding high after completing their sweep of the Houston Astros on Sunday. New York rallied several times during the series to earn victories over the AL runner-ups, with new arrivals, veterans and the young guns all playing a role in taking down Houston.
It's clear this performance has sent a jolt through the Yankees' clubhouse to kick the year off.
Clarke Schmidt on sweeping the Astros: "It's just kind of like letting them know and letting everybody know that we're here. We're excited about this year. We're ready to get going and this is just the start for us."
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) March 31, 2024
Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt had some things to say following Sunday's contest. He believes the 4-0 sweep sent a message to the Astros, "letting them know and letting everybody know that we're here." Schmidt also noted "this is just the start for us," which is sure to hype fans up.
Schmidt specifically mentioning Houston here shows how much New York is valuing its showing. Every Yankee knows the Astros will help shape the AL playoff picture in one way or another this year, so this kind of performance will undoubtedly serve as a confidence builder for a club looking to get back to the postseason.
The starter also added to the buzz by likening the team to the 2022 club, which won the AL East with 99 wins and "felt like [they] weren't going to lose at the end of the games," according to Schmidt.
Clarke Schmidt: "It's very eerily similar to how we were in 2022 when we started off on that really good start. We just felt like we weren't going to lose at the end of the games. We felt like we were always gonna come back. There's an energy and excitement in the clubhouse."
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) March 31, 2024
Now it's just one series, and the Yankees didn't completely stop Houston. But they got the better of the Astros every single day, which is a reason to buy in this early in the 2024 campaign.
Now it'll be on New York to build on its positive momentum with the reigning NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks on tap starting Monday. If Aaron Boone's club wins this series, let alone pulls off another sweep on the road, everyone around the league will be looking at the Yankees as threats.
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