Why Cam Schlittler Is The Next Great Yankees Pitcher

Effective pitchers usually need three or four good pitches to succeed in the MLB for years on end, but the top-tier pitchers usually have five and love to mix it up. Cam Schlittler might only have three dominant pitches he will lean on, but he’s starting to learn how not to rely on his fastball all the time.

Schlittler’s 2025 relied on his fastball 55% of the time, quite above the league average of 50%. It was still an effective pitch, holding an opposing batting average of .173 and making up over 60% of his strikeouts. What made it so effective was its 98 miles per hour average and its strong rise and movement towards third base.

Through his first two starts in 2026, Schlittler’s been using his cutter more often and has put an extra two miles an hour on it. There’s also a notable change in his grip on that pitch, which is leading to a better induced vertical break and five inches of glove-side break.

He’s also beginning to rely a bit more on his sinker as another 97-mile-an-hour pitch, showing it off nearly 25% of the time in his first two starts. There’s been a bit less rise, but more rightword break, which might generate more whiffs as the season rolls along. There’s also his curveball, which holds a healthy 15-mile-an-hour speed differential and serves as his true offspeed with an eight to 12-inch drop.

Though it’s too early to make any certain declarations, he’s currently in the 80th percentile or better when it comes to strikeouts, walks and chase rate among other categories. At the same time, he’s beginning to induce more groundouts than flyouts, which can suppress home run totals. The only issue is his whiff rate, sitting at a strong but somewhat low 30%, which could jump if he continues refining his delivery.

The development of Schlittler’s arsenal will be a storyline for the Yankees in 2026, especially with getting his curveball up-to-date. If he can drop a little more on it, the Yankees could have three aces by the summer.

Cam Schlittler’s Poise, Attititude & Fierce Competitiveness

The culture of the Yankees is not an easy one to assimilate, especially for a young pitcher like Cam Schlittler. It’s loud, the media light is bright, it’s a sports-centric city, and fans will eat a player up, if they fail.

Schlittler already proved his poise in Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card series on the mound. He never jumped up and down, he never yelled, he never showed off to any of the batters.

The then 25-year-old would come out, do the work, and then walk off the mound quietly with maybe a little hop. He was completely locked in, never once breaking his focus off the strike zone. When he was done, he would just look up at the scoreboard, maybe reading off his velocity, and quietly return to the dugout.

It’s impressive on a playoff stage for a young player who only pitched in 14 games at the major league level. Schlittler even explained how he was able to keep his emotions in check against a team he grew up watching.

“It’s obviously a mix of both [keeping my emotions under control and being a pro long enough]. I got a really good sleep last night and I wasn’t too worried about it. I woke up and I was locked in, so I exactly knew what I needed to do to get out there, especially against my hometown team,” Schlittler told reporters following the win.

He added at the time that he would not allow himself to be beaten by the Red Sox and that he stuck to his routine and did not think about things between innings.

At the same time, he’s also developed a bit of swagger in the offseason on social media. Following the Wild Card win, he loved to stir the pot against Red Sox fans, essentially telling fans to get over the loss and prepare for hockey and basketball season. That might have stemmed from online heckling of his family, including his mother, on social media by fellow Bostonians.

Schlittler’s already started his antics in the opening days of the 2026 campaign, telling trolls to “keep hating on us.” That somehow got the ire of Toronto Blue Jays fans, who began replying with posts of their own. He really doesn’t seem fazed in one of the largest cities on the planet. He just needs to make sure that he doesn’t become complacent to where it bleeds into his game.

End Of My Cam Schlittler Rant

It’s still early in Cam Schlittler’s career to make any solid declarations, but he’s currently on track to become the next ace of the Yankees. It starts with his arsenal and the batters’ inability to hit his pitches. The increasing rise and break in his fastball and cutter will make him a real threat on the mound, start in and start out.

Schlittler’s poise also gives him the calibre to function in the New York sphere for the long run. There’s a lot of potential here for him to continue chasing, but he’s already established his floor and is close to establishing his average if he continues to pitch effectively. If he begins shutting down top-tier lineups like the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Blue Jays, he’s a potential Cy Young candidate in 2026.