White Sox: Ian Clarkin striving to defy doubters with mindset, maturity

Two years removed from an elbow injury which erased his 2015 season, Chicago White Sox prospect Ian Clarkin gains motivation from his “doubters.”

The 2015 season is one that will live in infamy for Chicago White Sox prospect Ian Clarkin.

Clarkin, then entering his second full season in the New York Yankees organization, dealt with elbow inflammation which consumed the entirety of his campaign.

Sitting in the first base dugout of George M. Steinbrenner Field, the starting pitcher’s future was uncertain and his identity was stripped.

“When I look at my life I look at baseball first. I don’t look at anything else,” said Clarkin, a first round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. “So, when you get that taken away from you it opens a lot of eyes.

“That was the lowest part of my life. [It is] something that you love so much being taken away from you.”

Clarkin could only look on while his teammates struggled, leading High-A Tampa to a 66-72 record. As much as he wanted to be on the field, the California native recognizes he grew as a player and a person.

“That’s where a lot of people look and say, ‘Why me?'” he explained. “You can’t look at it that way. It happens. Everybody goes through something in their life where they’re going to have to pick themselves back up.

“I got a lot stronger mentally and physically. … I know where I don’t want to be again. That year was probably one of the most important.”

Following injury, Clarkin witnessed the formation of doubt among media and fans. Thankfully, the southpaw knows how to deal with expressed doubt.

“You have doubters in everything you do,” said Clarkin. “People actually tweet at me some things — ‘He’s a bust’ and all these different things. I don’t care. That doesn’t bother me.

“Those doubters, they help you to be stronger. When you’re tired in the gym after working out for an hour or two hours, you think about it, ‘Are you going to give in? Are they going to be right?'”

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Now 22 years of age, Clarkin has rebounded and pitched well the past two seasons. He possesses a 2.97 ERA in 181 2/3 total innings between Tampa and High-A Winston-Salem. Even more impressive, over 80 percent of his runners have been stranded on base this year.

Clarkin attributes maturity on the mound for his ability to keep walks and hits from becoming runs.

“There was a big adjustment that I made and it’s just maturity,” he said. “I had a good amount of success in high school and when people would get a hit, I’d get pissed.

“As you get older, you start to realize hits are going to happen. You’re going to make good pitches and give up cheap hits. … So when people get on base, then it’s just strategically try to get a ground ball.”

Despite proving to be consistent post-injury, Clarkin says he must lower the number of walks allowed. His walks per nine innings has increased from 2.76 to 3.33 in 2017.

“If there is one thing I need to improve on, it’s walks,” said Clarkin. “Walks aren’t who I am.”

Next: Pirates' Meadows now pressure-free, hitting in AAA

As the MiLB season crawls to an end, Clarkin is unfazed by what lies ahead in the offseason. Instead, he is taking one day at a time and focusing on accomplishing daily goals.

“This might sound cliche but I don’t set any goals past today. Tomorrow is the farthest I’ll look out,” Clarkin stated. “I set goals for myself every day before I leave the house.

“If I don’t reach those daily goals, then I go to sleep and [say], ‘I didn’t do what I wanted to do today. I’ll get back at it tomorrow.'”