The life of a pitcher can be a rollercoaster before they even step foot on a major league mound. Clarke Schmidt might be the best example out of any Yankee pitcher. Out of the University of South Carolina, he was a sure fire first rounder. Like many young hard throwers he fell victim to Tommy John surgery before he was drafted, leading to his fall to the Yankees.
He was only ever good in the minor leagues. He found himself in the top 100 of some prospect lists, but the Yankees were always high on his potential, likely higher than the industry average.