Cam Schlittler has put himself in position to do something that was starting to feel inevitable: take the ball for the American League in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
The Yankees right-hander has been the most overpowering starter in the league this season, and the case starts with the numbers that jump off the page. Schlittler owns an 8-4 record, a 1.62 ERA that ranks first in the AL, a 0.92 WHIP that sits second, and a .197 opponent’s batting average that also ranks second. His 4.0 WAR stands well above every other pitcher in the league, with Chicago White Sox right-hander Davis Martin next at 2.8.
What makes Schlittler stand out even more is that the production has come without any sign of slowing down. He has worked 95.0 innings, third-most in the AL, and has piled up 109 strikeouts, which ranks third.
Only Cleveland’s Gavin Williams and Kansas City’s Michael Wacha have thrown more innings, but neither has matched Schlittler’s effectiveness. Williams is sitting on a 3.82 ERA, while Wacha’s 3.48 mark and 5-5 record don’t come close to Schlittler’s pace.
The strikeout race tells a similar story. Williams has 111, and Toronto’s Dylan Cease leads the AL with 118, but Schlittler’s overall body of work still separates him from the pack.
Cease’s 4-3 record, 2.75 ERA, and 78.2 innings pitched don’t stack up against Schlittler’s season. Neither do the numbers for Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen, who trails Schlittler in ERA at 2.62 and owns a 6-4 record.
Schlittler and Rasmussen are tied for the lowest opponent batting average in the league at .194, and Rasmussen has a tiny edge in WHIP at 0.88 to Schlittler’s 0.89. But Schlittler’s edge in the categories that matter most has been clear all season. He leads the AL in ERA, and no one else in the conversation has been able to match that level of dominance.
Cleveland’s Parker Messick also deserves a spot in the discussion after going 7-3, but his 2.70 ERA and 91 strikeouts still leave him well behind Schlittler.
The Yankees right-hander has also handled the spotlight and the noise that comes with it. He went into Fenway Park and delivered despite Boston Red Sox fans being particularly abusive toward him, and he has shown the kind of mental toughness that has helped fuel this run. At 25 years old, Schlittler has made a habit of overpowering hitters with his fastball and showing the kind of focus that has turned him into an ace.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t dodge the question when asked recently about Schlittler’s All-Star starter case. Boone said you can make the case that Schlittler’s been the best pitcher in the AL.
Tarik Skubal’s injury and missed time opened the door for someone else to rise to the top of the American League pitching picture. Schlittler has walked through it.
In Other News...
Yankees May Have Found Their Best Shot At A Bullpen Fix
The Yankees keep searching for answers in the middle innings, and Yovanny Cruz has surfaced as one of the more intriguing internal options. The right-hander is back from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after a stretch that included 2 1/3 scoreless innings in the majors and steady work in the minors, where he has posted a 3.18 ERA and missed enough bats to stand out in a bullpen that has been under constant stress.
For a club still navigating reliever uncertainty, Cruzs return is less about a single appearance and more about whether he can provide some needed stability at a time when every roster move gets viewed through the lens of the trade deadline. The Yankees have been trying to piece together reliable innings while other arms have wobbled, and another internal call-up gives them one more chance to find help without having to pay a bigger price on the market. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Make Another Annoying AL East Depth Move Yankees Fans Know Too Well
The Rays are back to a familiar kind of roster shuffle, bringing outfielder Austin Slater back on a minor league deal as they keep working the margins of their AL East depth chart. For a club that has long made a habit of turning over the same kind of veteran role players, Slater is the latest low-cost name to cycle through the system, and the Yankees have seen enough of that sort of move from Tampa Bay to know it can matter later.
Slater, 33, has already spent time with three organizations this year and has appeared in 28 games while struggling to get much going at the plate. He previously carved out most of his big league career with the Giants over eight seasons, and now Tampa Bay is betting there may still be a use for him if it needs a familiar bench piece down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Offense Just Reached A Breaking Point Fans Feared Most
The Yankees offense has gone from shaky to flat-out alarming over a recent four-game stretch, with the kind of missed chances and empty innings that make every absence feel bigger. Without key pieces in the lineup, New York has struggled to generate much of anything against the Red Sox and Tigers, and the results have only sharpened the focus on how thin the margin is when the bats disappear.
What makes the skid feel even heavier is that the Yankees had been hanging in there until the trip through Fenway, when the problems seemed to deepen and the whole attack started to look out of sync. At the same time, the club is still waiting for clarity on its injured stars, and the questions around health and coaching decisions are starting to hang over the lineup as much as the results themselves. [Read more 🡒]