Cam Schlittler’s encouraging debut breathes new life into reeling Yankees rotation

By: Cooper Albers

Cam Schlittler makes his MLB debut against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, July 9 at Yankee Stadium (Photo: AP / Yuki Iwamura)

CORTO CAFÉ – The New York Yankees have been fighting an uphill battle with their starting rotation all season long. Injuries ravaged the pitching staff before it even got off the ground. Their ace? Sidelined for the year. Meanwhile, the reigning Rookie of the Year won’t take the mound until after the All-Star break. 

The club just lost another linchpin arm: right-hander Clarke Schmidt, the second Yankee starter to require season-ending Tommy John surgery in 2025. New York desperately needs arms. But while general manager Brian Cashman scrambles to land a frontline starter at the upcoming trade deadline on July 31, he must also address a depleted bullpen and a glaring hole at third base. 

Cashman has vowed to “go to town” at the deadline, but a complete roster overhaul seems unlikely – especially given the team’s tentative approach to the deadline in recent years. Thus, the Yankees must rely, at least in part, on what they have internally. And just in time, they may have just stumbled upon a hidden gem. 

Filling Schmidt’s slot in the rotation was 24-year-old Cam Schlittler, who made his MLB debut on Wednesday night against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium. The club’s No. 10 prospect arrived in the Bronx with a 2.82 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 76.2 innings across AA and AAA this season. 

Aside from the visible redness in his cheeks, the 6’6” lanky right-hander looked right at home in front of 35,000 strong – aided by the presence of his mom, dad, and 20 of his closest friends and family members who made the trip down from his hometown of Walpole, Massachusetts. Schlittler dazzled across 5.1 innings, allowing just three runs and four hits, striking out seven and earning the win in New York’s 9-6 series-clinching victory over the Mariners. 

“It’s been my goal my whole life,” Schlittler told reporters after the game. “It’s really good to go out there and put the team in a position to win and live out that dream.”

A 7th round pick in the 2022 MLB draft, Schlittler wields a five-pitch mix with an assortment of breaking balls – but his best offering is his blazing fastball, a pitch that’s seen an exponential bump in velocity over the last year. In the minors last season, his four-seamer hovered around 93-96 mph, according to the Yankee Report. But in his major league debut, he was shoving at an average 97.9 mph – the fastest of any Yankee pitcher all season. 

After issuing a leadoff walk and inducing an outfield popup in the first inning, Schlittler stood across from the feared Seattle catcher, Cal Raleigh. The rookie didn’t shy away from the MLB home run leader, as so many pitchers have at this point in the season. Instead, he went right at him. Working Raleigh into a 1-2 count, the righty pumped a 100 mph bullet right down Broadway for a called strike three and the first strikeout of his career. 

Schlittler did his part in stalling the American League home run race for Yankee captain Aaron Judge, holding Raleigh hitless in three attempts with a pair of strikeouts. The second K put an exclamation point on his impressive debut, as he walked off the mound to a standing ovation from the Yankee faithful.

“I don’t think I’ve really processed it yet,” Schlittler said with a smirk, describing the standing ovation. “I think coming out and everyone standing up was definitely a great feeling so I’m happy that my family was here to see that.”

Of course, there’s plenty of room for improvement. He’ll need to develop a secondary pitch to neutralize left-handed hitters, as he surrendered a pair of solo shots to JP Crawford and Jorge Polanco. But the raw stuff is there – and it’s undeniable. 

“I thought he was under control,” Boone remarked after the game. “You see the live fastball; I thought he did a really good job with his secondary stuff, mixing that in and throwing it when he needed to [for strikes] … Felt like they got a good look at some of the breaking balls the second time through, but you see his stuff really plays. I thought his calmness – his poise and focus – was excellent.”

Schlittler’s teammates were equally impressed and returned the favor with a generous serving of run support. Jazz Chisholm Jr., who clobbered a pair of two-run homers – his 16th and 17th of the season – had a front row seat to the Schlittler show after returning to his natural position at second base.

“He was sick,” said Chisholm after the game. “Seeing how the ball was moving, seeing how it came out of his hand, and watching how the hitters were reacting to some of the pitches – it was sick.”

Added Jasson Dominguez, who went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored: “He was nasty today. I was impressed.”

Boone assured reporters that the rookie has earned at least one more turn in the rotation after the All-Star break. And while the starting five may look quite a bit different come August, Schlittler’s dominant debut offers a promising glimpse into the future of a Yankee rotation that was doomed from the start.