When Yankees spring training was suspended, top prospect T.J. Sikkema did what many other minor leaguers did: he went home to sit and wait.
Home for the left-hander is in DeWitt, Iowa, and while he has been working out and throwing bullpen sessions, he needed another way to pass the time. So he and his girlfriend, Amanda Brainerd, have been doing just that and making some money along the way with DoorDash deliveries.
Speaking to the Des Moines Register, Sikkema explained how his sister, Taryn, actually brought up the idea that led to him and Brainerd. After a little contemplation, they decided to give it a shot.
"She kind of got us into it," Sikkema explained. "Amanda, one night, we were talking over dinner and she was like, 'Maybe we should try that, T.J. - it's really fun.'"
Now Sikkema, the Yankees' 17th-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is still being paid the $400 stipend the team is giving to its minor leaguers. So the money that is made -- about $15-25 per hour -- is going to his girlfriend. And they have a system: Sikkema drives and Brainerd drops off the deliveries to the customers.
"It's not all about the money," Sikkema said. "It's a little bit about getting out and it's a little bit about just trying to help people."
This was supposed to be a big year for Sikkema's career -- his first full season as a pro. After being selected 38th overall by the Yanks last year, he followed up his superb junior season at Missouri with a 0.84 ERA in 10.2 innings with Short-Season Staten Island.
"I think it was going to be pretty big," Sikkema said about his 2020 season. "It was going to be my first full year in pro ball. So, I think I had a lot to prove."
But that full season will have to wait until 2021. Until then, Sikkema will continue to throw and remain prepared for whenever he can get back on the mound for real. He'll also be in his truck dropping off some deliveries with his girlfriend, helping out his community.
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