NEW YORK - Cam Schlittler has done more than put himself in the conversation for the American League Cy Young Award. He’s made the race feel close to over.
The 25-year-old right-hander has been rolling through lineups with the kind of force that sends older Yankees fans drifting back to 1978 and Ron Guidry’s unhittable summer. The strikeouts keep piling up, the outings keep blurring together, and hitters have had no answer for his fastball. At times, Schlittler has looked like he’s operating on a different level entirely.
That’s why the real question now is bigger than Cy Young. Is Schlittler the AL’s Most Valuable Player?
One writer says yes. He’s one of the two New York-area voters for the Baseball Writers Association of America’s MVP ballot this offseason, and Schlittler has his support.
Pitchers don’t usually win MVP, but history says it’s possible. The list is a strong one: Clayton Kershaw in 2014, Justin Verlander in 2011, Dennis Eckersley in 1992, Roger Clemens in 1986, Willie Hernandez in 1984, Rollie Fingers in 1981, Vida Blue in 1971, Denny McLain and Bob Gibson in 1968, Sandy Koufax in 1963 and Don Newcombe in 1956.
Schlittler has the numbers to make the case. After his latest gem against the Mets on Sunday - six innings, one hit, eight strikeouts in the Yankees’ 2-0 win - his Wins Above Replacement jumped to 7.1. That leads the American League, ahead of Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. at 6.3, Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease at 6.0 and Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez at 5.8.
WAR matters in an MVP debate because it packages value into one number. For position players, it folds in hitting, baserunning, fielding and positional difficulty.
For pitchers, it measures run prevention and innings. Schlittler sits at the top of the league because he’s doing everything a dominant starter is supposed to do, only better.
Inside the Yankees clubhouse, the support is close to universal. Cody Bellinger and Austin Wells are firmly in Schlittler’s corner. Wells has watched the right-hander up close and sees the full effect of his presence every time he takes the mound.
Aaron Judge is the exception. The three-time MVP said pitchers shouldn’t be in the MVP discussion, though he had no issue backing Schlittler for Cy Young.
“They’ve got a Cy Young Award for a reason - best pitcher in the game,” Judge said. “(Schlittler) has my vote, definitely, for the Cy Young.”
That’s a notable stance, because Schlittler has clearly been one of the Yankees’ most important players. He helped steady the rotation while Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon were injured, and he’s kept doing it long after the league should have found a way to slow him down. Instead, after a year and a half, he’s still overpowering hitters.
His 1.95 ERA is the best in the majors. It’s also better than any Yankees pitcher since Ron Guidry’s 1.74 in 1978 and Spud Chandler’s 1.64 in 1943.
Schlittler brings a 98-mph fastball and a 6-6 frame that makes the pitch look like it’s coming downhill. The velocity and the angle work together, and the result is ugly for hitters.
He’s a nightmare.
There’s also a personality to match the stuff. Schlittler carries himself with an old-school edge, and he’s already picked up enemies.
Red Sox Nation has crossed a line in 2025, with some fans directing death threats at him on social media. This weekend, Mets fans joined the list.
He was irritated by the “Let’s Go Mets” chants echoing through the Stadium during the Subway Series, and he responded the only way he knows how: by shutting down the lineup and the crowd at the same time. Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette went 0-for-8 against him.
Before the game, Schlittler said his mind was made up.
“I want to make sure I come in here and kind of shut that down,” he recalled.
The crowd was with him, too, especially in the fifth inning when he was working on a no-hitter. Brett Baty finally snapped it with a double off the right field wall, and the Stadium responded with an appreciative cheer. It was just another part of the ride.
Part of Schlittler’s appeal is that he comes off exactly the same way after the game. On YES interviews, he’s blunt, composed and completely unbothered.
He doesn’t posture. He doesn’t celebrate himself.
He just sounds like a pitcher who expects to beat you.
“A lot of that is his mentality,” said Wells. “He doesn’t give in to anybody.
He doesn’t give (hitters) an inch. He just continues to pound guys with his fastball.
It’s how he works with that mound presence.”
Boone’s postseason plans should start to come into focus soon. With next week’s off day during the Minnesota-Arizona road trip, Schlittler and Cole are both lined up to start Friday against the Diamondbacks. Whoever gets the ball that day will also be positioned to start Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against Boston.
Boone isn’t tipping anything yet, but Schlittler looks like the likely choice for September 28. If that happens, it would fit the way this season has gone: a slam-dunk Cy Young candidate with a real MVP argument and at least one vote already locked in.
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