Nick Schmidt

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked San Diego Padres #29 prospect in 2011
  Schmidt required Tommy John surgery just seven innings into his pro career, adding to a string of snake-bit Padres first-round picks that includes Matt Bush, Tim Stauffer, Cesar Carrillo, Matt Antonelli, Allan Dykstra, Donavan Tate and unsigned 2010 pick Karsten Whitson. Schmidt signed for $1.26 million in 2007 and then missed the entire 2008 campaign. He has yet to compile 100 innings in either of his next two seasons, hasn't yet reached Double-A and doesn't throw quite as hard as he did at Arkansas. As a pro starter he ranges from 85-88 mph, sitting more comfortably at 90-93 in short stints. He throws across his body, which hides the ball from opposing batters and makes his riding fastball play up to average. Schmidt has two average secondary offerings in a late-breaking, low-70s curveball and a deceptive changeup in the low 80s. His pitches all have separation, which coupled with steadier velocity could make him vicious as a reliever. Schmidt is so physical and throws so many strikes, though, that San Diego will continue to develop him as a potential back-of-the-rotation starter. He'll get his first taste of Double-A in 2011.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #21 prospect in 2009
  Schmidt and Cesar Carrillo remain linked not only as San Diego first-round picks drafted but also as Tommy John surgery alumni. Schmidt went to the operating table in October 2007, four months after Carrillo. Schmidt got back on the mound in instructional league last fall before heading to the Padres' Dominican camp to get in more innings. As an amateur, Schmidt was a polished, durable lefty who had been a Friday starter since he was a freshman at Arkansas. San Diego signed him for $1.26 million as the 23rd overall pick in 2007, but he went down almost immediately. Though he stands 6-foot-5, Schmidt isn't overpowering and lacks a swing-and-miss pitch, but he's adept at using his height to leverage his 86-89 mph fastball down in the zone. He touched 91 in college and showed an above-average curveball and solid-average changeup, and he gets even higher marks for his control and his feel for pitching. His delivery isn't textbook, as he shows the open face of his glove to the batter before he delivers a pitch, but his idiosyncrasies add deception. Schmidt was regarded as a future mid-rotation starter before his surgery, but as with Carrillo, the Padres won't know what they have until he has recovered.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #9 prospect in 2008
  A polished, durable lefthander who became a No. 1 starter in the rugged Southeastern Conference as a freshman, Schmidt went 23rd overall in the 2007 draft and signed for $1.26 million. After pitching 241 innings in his final two college seasons, not including a stint with Team USA, he tossed just seven innings in pro ball before coming down with elbow soreness. His elbow didn't respond to rest, and he had Tommy John surgery in October. While he doesn't have a swing-and-miss pitch, Schmidt is adept at using his 6-foot-5 frame to drive his pitches down in the zone. He can touch 91 mph but more often pitches at 86-89, and he backs up his fastball with an above-average curveball and solid-average changeup. He's competitive, has fine control and changes speeds well. He also has an advanced feel for reading batters' swings and adjusting accordingly. Schmidt has some effort to his delivery and he shows the open face of his glove to the batter before he delivers his pitches. He stays online to the plate well, however, and his delivery quirks do add deception. His velocity is fringy, though the rest of his game makes his fastball play up. While the track record of pitchers recovering from elbow reconstruction is impressive, he won't be able to return to the mound until 2009. Following Matt Bush and Cesar Carrillo, Schmidt is the third Padres first-round pick in the last four years to succumb to Tommy John surgery. Despite the setback, he shouldn't require much minor league time once he returns and still should have a ceiling as a No. 3 starter.