Cam Schlittler may not have locked up the AL Cy Young race, but he sure made his case a lot louder on Sept. 2.
Against the Los Angeles Angels, the Yankees right-hander turned in what could end up being his defining performance of the season: one run allowed, eight strikeouts, and eight innings of work. It was the kind of outing that does more than pad a stat line.
It shuts down a talking point, too. For much of the year, Schlittler has been tagged by critics as a pitcher the Yankees have supposedly protected to help his award case.
That theory took a hit with this start.
The argument around Schlittler has gotten a lot of traction in some corners, especially with the AL Cy Young race narrowing to what looks like a two-man fight between him and Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease. Toronto fans, in particular, have pushed the idea that New York has handled Schlittler carefully in a way that benefits his numbers.
But the comparison doesn’t really hold up. Schlittler is averaging 5.92 innings per start, while Cease is at 6.01.
That gap is barely there. And when Cease was lifted after six innings and 80+ pitches in the Blue Jays’ 11-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians, that was the right move in a September blowout - just not something that should be twisted into Cy Young evidence.
The bigger picture is that the Yankees have every reason to use Schlittler the way they have. They’re trying to position themselves as best they can for October, and that means getting the most out of their best starter, not hiding him from work.
He’s made 29 starts this season, gone at least six innings in 17 of them, and reached seven or more innings six times. His 171.2 innings pitched are already a career high, which says plenty about how much the Yankees have leaned on him.
That workload matters because Schlittler is still early in his big league career. He’s in his first full season, with just 43 career starts to his name.
His 2.96 FIP has been built in a relatively small sample, but he’s already shown he can handle the biggest moments. His 2025 postseason gem against the Boston Red Sox was another reminder of that.
Once Gerrit Cole went down, Schlittler stepped into the ace role and hasn’t given it back.
There’s also the modern reality of how teams manage games now. Analytics have changed the math, and clubs are less willing to send a tired starter back out there just to chase innings.
The more a lineup sees a pitcher, the better its chances usually get. That’s part of why Schlittler’s deep outings stand out even more.
So yes, the Cy Young race is still alive. And yes, both Schlittler and Cease have put together seasons worth celebrating. But after this latest start, Schlittler has the edge - and he’s not giving it away easily.
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