New York Yankees rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler has been far better, far faster, than anyone could have realistically anticipated.
Schlittler, the 6-foot-6, 225-pounder who the Yankees selected in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, was striking out the world in the minors before the Yankees called him up in July. He’s stepped into the spot vacated by the injured Clarke Schmidt in the Yankees rotation, and he’s continued to rack up punchouts.
After a seven-inning masterpiece against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, Schlittler’s ERA is down to 2.96 in 73 major league innings. He’s punched out 84 batters and allowed only 58 hits.
Soon, the Yankees will have a tricky decision to make. Either Schlittler will be their third playoff starter, or it will be Luis Gil, last year’s American League Rookie of the Year. Gil is scheduled to pitch on Sunday, when the Yankees take on the Orioles one last time to determine whether they win the AL East and advance straight to the Division Series, or if they have to partake in a best-of-three wild-card round this week.
Schlittler has made his case. And the captain, Aaron Judge, gave a quote about the 24-year-old on Saturday that would certainly seem to indicate he’d trust his team in handing Schlittler the ball to start a playoff game.
“I love it,’’ Judge said after Schlittler’s gem on Saturday, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. “He’s been impressive all year. Besides the arsenal he has, each start he’s becoming a better pitcher, reading swings and knowing what to throw.”
The Yankees won’t have to make a decision until Sunday evening at the earliest, and they’ll probably drag it out a bit longer. New York not only doesn’t know if it’s participating in the wild-card round, but would have to learn of the opponent based on Sunday’s action.
But manager Aaron Boone also made it clear that he would trust Schlittler in a playoff start, if that’s what it came to.
“Yes, absolutely,” Schlittler said, per Martin.
It would have been hard for Schlittler to do anything more on the field to argue on his behalf. And the Yankees will have one of the best rotations on paper in the playoffs regardless of his inclusion, as Max Fried and Carlos Rodón are slated to pitch their first two games, whenever they happen.
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