Ian Clarkin Stats & Scouting Report

IP	13.2
ERA	9.88
WHIP	2.12
BB/9	3.95
SO/9	13.83

Full name Ian Richard Clarkin
Born 02/14/1995 in San Diego, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School James Madison
Drafted in the 1st round (33rd overall) by the New York Yankees in 2013 (signed for $1,650,100).

View Draft Report

Clarkin punctuated his strong performance on the 2012 summer showcase circuit with six strong innings in the gold medal game to lead USA Baseball's 18-and-under team to the IBAF 18U World Championship in Seoul, South Korea, in September. He got off to a strong start this spring with a good showing at the Southern California Invitational in February, establishing himself as the top prep pitcher in the region. Clarkin has feel for pitching with three quality offerings. His fastball sits at 90-92 mph and bumps 93-94, and he pitches inside aggressively, but sometimes his fastball command falters. He flashes a plus downer curveball with sharp bite, and he can locate it to both sides of the plate when he's on. He also has shown the makings of an average (but inconsistent) changeup with good arm speed and fade. Clarkin needs refinement, but his three-pitch arsenal and competitiveness give him a chance to be a quality major league starter down the road. He is committed to San Diego.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Clarkin was the third of the Yankees' three first-round picks in the 2013 draft, and was traded to the White Sox in the middle of 2017 as part of the package that sent third baseman Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to New York. To this point, Clarkin's career has been stuttered by injuries. He missed all of 2015 with elbow inflammation before finally getting on the mound in the Arizona Fall League. He dealt with an oblique injury when he changed teams and missed a month after making his White Sox debut at high Class A Winston-Salem. Back at instructs, Clarkin showed a four-pitch mix fronted by an 86-88 mph fastball with tail and sink. He backed it with a potential plus curveball in the mid-70s, an average slider in the low-80s and a below-average changeup in the mid-80s. White Sox personnel note how driven he is off the field and how vocal he is about wanting to be part of the team's rebuild. Clarkin largely projects to end up in situational relief role with his poor health track record and a curveball that will play against lefties.
Drafted with the third of the Yankees' three first-round picks in 2013, Clarkin signed for $1,650,100 but has had a rough go of things during his pro career. He missed time in 2014 with an ankle injury, then missed all of the 2015 regular season managing left elbow inflammation. Even though Clarkin's season was lost, for all intents and purposes, the fact that he didn't need surgery was a positive. He was healthy enough toward the end of the year to pitch in instructional league and the Arizona Fall League. In the AFL, Clarkin showed a lower arm slot than in the past as well as a fastball between 88-92 mph that he effectively worked both inside and out. He complemented the pitch with his signature, heavy-spinning breaking ball and a changeup that some evaluators gave a chance to be above-average. After a full offseason, Clarkin will head into 2016 ready for an assignment to high Class A Tampa.
A star on the 2012 USA Baseball 18-and-under team that won the gold medal at the IBAF World Championship, Clarkin had a strong senior high school season, and the Yankees draft him 33rd overall in 2013. After saying he "couldn't stand" the Yankees growing up, he signed with New York for $1,650,100. His pro debut was delayed by an ankle injury that happened when he slipped on a baseball at the Yankees complex in Florida. A threepitch lefthander, Clarkin does an excellent job of getting downhill from a high release point, generating groundball outs with his fastball, which clocks in at 90-92 mph and features modest life. Some scouts saw the need for Clarkin to add a cutter as he climbed the ladder. Under the guidance of pitching coordinator Gil Patterson, he did just that in 2014. With the new weapon in tow, he'll be able to coax even more groundballs. His best secondary pitch is a changeup, which scouts rank as plus. He also throws a big-breaking curveball in the 70-72 mph range. His delivery is clean, has some deception to it. After a cameo at high Class A Tampa, Clarkin will head back to begin 2015, with a chance at the upper levels in the second half.
Clarkin helped USA Baseball's 18U national team win gold at the 2012 IBAF World Championship in South Korea, spinning six strong innings in the final to beat Canada. His strong spring pushed him into first-round consideration, and the Yankees took him with the third of their three first-rounders. He made waves for saying he "couldn't stand" the Yankees while growing up, but a $1,650,100 bonus offer made that moot. He's the first prep lefty the Yankees have drafted in the first round since taking Brien Taylor No. 1 overall in 1991. At his best, Clarkin shows three average to above-average pitches. His fastball sits 90-92 mph and touches 94. He flashes a plus curveball with sharp bite and downer action, and he located it well to both sides of the plate as an amateur. He spent time sharpening an inconsistent changeup in the instructional league, but the pitch has shown fading action, and he sells it with good arm speed. He's shown willingness to pitch inside. Clarkin missed time after twisting his right ankle slipping on a baseball in Tampa but returned in late August to pitch in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. An assignment to low Class A Charleston in 2014 isn't out of the question for Clarkin, but a more likely path is extended spring training and a trip to short-season Staten Island.

Draft Prospects

Clarkin punctuated his strong performance on the 2012 summer showcase circuit with six strong innings in the gold medal game to lead USA Baseball's 18-and-under team to the IBAF 18U World Championship in Seoul, South Korea, in September. He got off to a strong start this spring with a good showing at the Southern California Invitational in February, establishing himself as the top prep pitcher in the region. Clarkin has feel for pitching with three quality offerings. His fastball sits at 90-92 mph and bumps 93-94, and he pitches inside aggressively, but sometimes his fastball command falters. He flashes a plus downer curveball with sharp bite, and he can locate it to both sides of the plate when he's on. He also has shown the makings of an average (but inconsistent) changeup with good arm speed and fade. Clarkin needs refinement, but his three-pitch arsenal and competitiveness give him a chance to be a quality major league starter down the road. He is committed to San Diego.

Minor League Top Prospects

Clarkin is one of the safer bets among SAL pitching prospects. He's not spectacular, and he doesn't necessarily have an above-average pitch, but he throws a solid-average three-pitch mix consisting of a fastball, curveball and changeup. Clarkin's 88-92 mph fastball has just enough velocity, but not much life. Scouts like the lefty's clean delivery and solid control. He gets good downward plane thanks his over-the-top release point. He'll always have to hit his spots and mix his pitches, but he already shows a feel for keeping hitters off-balance by pitching backwards at times. The Yankees proceeded cautiously with Clarkin's innings in his first full season, keeping him to 75-80 pitches per start, but he was able to stretch that to five to six innings with regularity.

Career Transactions

Charros de Jalisco signed free agent LHP Ian Clarkin.
Reno Aces released LHP Ian Clarkin.
Reno Aces activated LHP Ian Clarkin from the reserve list.
LHP Ian Clarkin assigned to Reno Aces.
Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent LHP Ian Clarkin to a minor league contract.
Charros de Jalisco placed LHP Ian Clarkin on the reserve list.
Charros de Jalisco placed LHP Ian Clarkin on the reserve list.
Charros de Jalisco activated LHP Ian Clarkin.
LHP Ian Clarkin assigned to Charros de Jalisco.
Long Island Ducks activated LHP Ian Clarkin from the temporarily inactive list.
Long Island Ducks placed LHP Ian Clarkin on the temporarily inactive list.
Long Island Ducks signed free agent LHP Ian Clarkin.
Arkansas Travelers released LHP Ian Clarkin.
LHP Ian Clarkin assigned to Arkansas Travelers.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent LHP Ian Clarkin to a minor league contract.