Sep 5, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Rookie Pitcher Holds Keys to Yankees' Playoff Success

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 7:00 AM ET

After Clarke Schmidt underwent Tommy John surgery in July, it wasn't immediately clear who would serve as the New York Yankees' No. 3 starter in the playoffs.

Veteran left-handers Max Fried and Carlos Rodón have always been locks to toe the rubber during October, and they're among the top one-two punches across the entire league.

Fried currently owns a 3.02 ERA over 176 innings in the first season of an eight-year, $218 million deal he signed with the Yankees as a free agent this past winter. Rodón's stats strongly resemble his fellow All-Star's, as his ERA sits at 3.11 in 176 1/3 frames.

Will Warren's a candidate to start during the postseason with a 4.22 ERA in his first full major league campaign, as is Luis Gil with a 3.31 ERA over his initial seven outings since returning from a lat strain, but Cam Schlittler has more or less cemented his status as the top option behind Fried and Rodón.

A former seventh-round pick who flew up the prospect rankings with a 3.36 ERA in the minor leagues last season and a 2.82 ERA over 76 2/3 innings this year, Schlittler made his big-league debut against the Seattle Mariners on July 9.

He wasn't effective straight away, as he pitched to a 4.38 ERA and 5.94 FIP in his first five outings for New York, but he quickly settled in and showed why his arrival was so highly-anticipated.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Schlittler has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last month, boasting a 2.01 ERA and 1.99 FIP to go alongside 39 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings and six starts since August 13.

That stretch includes a six-inning, seven-strikeout performance on September 11 as the Yankees avoided a sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers with a 9-3 victory.

Standing at 6-foot-6, Schlittler's four-seam fastball has already registered as an elite offering with an average velocity of 97.9 mph and a run value of six, per Baseball Savant.

His off-speed pitches have yet to round into form at the big-league level, but it hasn't stopped the 24-year-old from getting hitters to chase at a 29.7 percent rate or strike out at a 26.7 percent rate, both of which are well above-average.

Schlittler's thrown a total of 132 2/3 innings between the minors and majors in 2025, which has surpassed his previous high as a professional at 120 2/3. Even if workload concerns become prevalent for the Yankees in this case, however, he should still get the opportunity to start behind Fried and Rodón come playoff time.

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