A harmless-seeming broadcast question turned into a full-blown Yankees flashpoint, and Cam Schlittler was right in the middle of it.
During YES Network’s coverage of New York’s 5-3 win over the Nationals, Michael Kay floated a hypothetical about the Yankees’ second-half schedule: should the club hold Schlittler back from facing the Dodgers right after the All-Star break so Los Angeles wouldn’t get a fresh look at him before October? The idea was aimed at former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who didn’t need much time to knock it down.
“No,” Girardi said, before adding, “it’s too far away, you gotta get there.”
Girardi did leave room for a more ordinary explanation if the Yankees chose to adjust Schlittler’s turn: rest. He suggested the right-hander could simply be pushed to Sunday after the break.
“So maybe he throws Sunday,” Girardi said.
But the larger point was clear. In Girardi’s view, July is no time to map out a World Series matchup that hasn’t been earned yet.
“I think it’s way too soon to think about that,” Girardi said.
The reaction online came fast and mostly went one direction. Plenty of Yankees fans blasted the premise as overcooked, especially with New York sitting in second place, the trade deadline still ahead and the division race still active.
Others argued the whole thing was a distraction from the actual game in front of them. A smaller group defended the question, saying there was at least some logic in limiting a future postseason opponent’s exposure to a young pitcher.
Some also felt Kay was simply trying to spark conversation and get Girardi’s manager’s perspective.
The pushback ranged from sarcastic to blunt. @Christian_NYYST noted, “It’s July 12 and the Yankees are in second place, so the answer is no; and separately, “It’s a one-run game. Get Girardi’s perspective on that.”
@Jeff165304 (Suzie Q) argued “It’s a legitimate question, to potentially not expose him to the Dodgers so they’re not as familiar with him when the playoffs come around. But sure let’s hate on Michael Kay because it’s the cool kids thing to do. You guys all must be fun at parties 🤣”
@Moot22514778 said, “Not dumb unless Schlittler plays “the Greg Maddux game” of pacing himself against a future opponent.”
@btrnobody tweeted, “Kay was likely just generating discussion and teeing up Girardi for a manager’s perspective.”
@JerseyGeneral34. offered a middle read, , suggesting the host was mostly trying to spark discussion and set up the former Yankees manager for a bench perspective, “ Maybe he was just filling airtime.”
@HomelessNeenja pushed back on the World Series framing entirely, “World Series? These games all matter, pointing to what happened with Toronto last year.”
@Puszkarczu72605 sarcastically notes Schlittler will make 10-12 more starts and the Dodgers aren’t worried about one look, “LOL, YES, dumb question, like advanced scouting and they are not gonna see him make 10-12 more starts. Lol.
Yes, dumb question. WTF?
Not like the Dodgers are even worried about it.”
@mikedorb1 kept it short, questioning why the topic came up at all and asking, “Why would Kay even ask Girardi that?”
@Ghostofyankees1 was more scathing, “That’s moronic. Stupid on multiple levels. Kay and Boone should open up an learing center.”
Lost in the noise was the pitcher himself, and the numbers explain why his schedule has become such a talking point. Schlittler is 9-5 with an American League-leading 2.05 ERA, 137 strikeouts and a 0.94 WHIP across 118 2/3 innings in his second big league season.
That kind of workload matters for a Yankees rotation that has taken hits, and ESPN projects Schlittler to reach about 201 innings this year after he threw 191 last season. That’s the real reason any tinkering with his schedule would make sense: rest, not secrecy.
The Yankees have already made one call along those lines. Schlittler will not pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia, choosing to stay on his normal routine with the second half in mind.
He is still lined up to start the second half at home against the Dodgers. New York enters the break at 54-42, second in the AL East and three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
For now, the only people seriously talking about a Yankees-Dodgers World Series are the ones with a microphone and a segment to fill. The Yankees and Schlittler still have a lot of work to do before any of that matters.
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