Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler is poised to win the American League Cy Young Award after a season marked by dominance that placed him in rare company in the team's record books. While a championship eluded the New York club, Schlittler emerged as a standout performer, leading the league in ERA and strikeouts.
Schlittler's 1.95 ERA was the best in the American League and the third-lowest in Yankees franchise history, trailing only Spud Chandler's 1.64 in 1943 and Ron Guidry's 1.74 in 1978. He allowed one run or fewer in 21 starts, a major league best and a franchise record. His 239 strikeouts tied Jack Chesbro's 1904 mark for fourth most by a Yankees pitcher, behind only Gerrit Cole and Ron Guidry. Additionally, his 1.16 ERA in 17 road starts ranked as the fifth-lowest since 1913 for a season.
His manager, Aaron Boone, declared Schlittler the "best pitcher in the league" in September. Schlittler's closest competitors for the award include Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays and Parker Messick of the Cleveland Guardians. Cease posted a 2.40 ERA with 239 strikeouts in 169 innings, while Messick finished with a 2.56 ERA in 32 starts and 186 1/3 innings.
Schlittler's performance in high-pressure situations was particularly notable. In Game 1 of the wild-card series, he struck out 10 batters across 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the Red Sox. Despite a less favorable outing in his second playoff start, he maintained a career 1.44 ERA over 25 postseason innings.
His journey to the majors was also remarkable. Drafted 200th overall in 2022 out of Northeastern University, Schlittler initially struggled in his first minor league season. However, after increasing his physical strength and velocity, he made his MLB debut in July 2025. Since then, he has led the majors in ERA (2.23) among pitchers with at least 47 starts, ranking fourth in opponents' batting average (.194) and sixth in WHIP (1.00). His ERA since his debut is the second-best since 1913, trailing only Paul Skenes.
Schlittler expressed his desire for a championship, stating, "The personal stuff, whatever happens, that’s great. But at the end of the day, I’d rather win a championship."