Growing up outside of Atlanta, Clarke Schmidt rooted for the Braves. Yet he considered Andy Pettitte one of his idols. It didn’t matter that Pettitte threw with his left arm or that he dominated the Braves in Game 5 of the 1996 World Series. Schmidt, a righty who was born that year, found himself drawn to Pettitte later in his career. Schmidt especially loved the way Pettitte, a five-time World Series champion with a 3.81 postseason ERA, “turned it on when it mattered most.” Now Schmidt is hoping to do the same, as the Yankees picked him to start Game 3 of the ALDS against the Royals on Wednesday with the series tied at one. “I kind of want to have that same type of legacy,” Schmidt said Tuesday before traveling to Kansas City. “What better person to learn from than him?” Indeed, Schmidt has gotten the chance to learn from Pettitte, who spends plenty of time with the Yankees as a special assistant. The 28-year-old Schmidt called the 52-year-old Pettitte a “mentor,” one that he’s particularly thankful for. “I can’t speak highly enough of Andy and the knowledge he’s bestowed on me and all the advice he’s given me,” Schmidt said. “We’ve kind of formed a really good relationship over the years. He’s helped me immensely as far as mentality, pitch selection, how you’re trying to get guys out, sequencing.” Schmidt added that he’s watched all of Pettitte’s playoff starts. No pitcher has made more than Pettitte’s 44. His 19 wins and 276.2 innings are also the most ever in the postseason. Wednesday will be the first October start of Schmidt’s young career. He’s pitched in the playoffs before, but only as a reliever in 2022. He allowed three runs over 2.1 innings, giving him an inflated 11.57 ERA. “I feel like a different player and a different person than who I was back then,” said Schmidt, who led the Yankees’ rotation with a 2.85 ERA this season after a lat injury limited him to 16 starts. “You don’t really know what to expect when you’re going into your first playoff, and I was in some situations I wasn’t typically used to when I was getting brought up [in the minors]. “Now I just feel very comfortable with myself and who I am as a pitcher.” Aaron Boone also noted Schmidt’s growth and how far the hurler has come since his debut season in 2020. Back then, with the pandemic forcing a shorter schedule, Schmidt showed flashes of potential. Yet it was clear to Boone that he was far from a “refined product.” But after working as a reliever in 2022, Schmidt became a full-time starter last season. He blossomed after some early struggles, and he was extremely consistent when on the mound this season. It wasn’t until his very last start, played in rainy conditions, that Schmidt allowed more than three earned runs in an outing. “I feel like he loves pitching and loves all that goes with that,” Boone said. “So the physical preparation in the weight room, the pitch design things that they’re able to do and what you can learn, and all the way to the game play. He loves everything about pitching, and he’s just super competitive. It’s been neat to see him just kind of get better and better each year.” That gradual improvement gave Boone a tough choice for Game 3, as he could have picked the electric but erratic Luis Gil for the start. Instead, he went with the uber-confident, more-predictable Schmidt. “Clarke is fully cut out to handle that,” Boone said. “It doesn’t mean he’s going to go dominate. Doesn’t mean he won’t struggle. Whatever he does, I know he will be prepared. He will walk out there with confidence and with an expectation to deliver, and he’s got the equipment to deliver. So I’m excited to go see him do his thing.” Schmidt feels the same way. While he called it “every kid’s dream” to start a playoff game for the Yankees and is expecting a “hostile environment” at Kauffman Stadium, he’s trying to stay calm. He wants to treat his first playoff start like any other game. With that in mind, he insists he’s not feeling any jitters. “I’m really, honestly, excited. I trust my preparation. I trust the work that I put in, and I trust everybody around me,” Schmidt said. “I think if you’re nervous going into atmospheres like this you can get eaten alive. So I’m excited, and I’m going to be aggressive and on the attack.”