Yankees rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler not taking his experience in pinstripes for granted
Cam Schlittler of the Yankees leaves a game during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Monday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Cam Schlittler has been in the Yankees organization since the team selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
Three years later, the 6-6, 225-pound righthander has three big-league starts under his belt.
Schlittler, 24, is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings. He is the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect, per MLB.com.
Schlittler has done enough to stay in the rotation – at least for now – and is not taking the experience for granted.
“You put on the jerseys at the other levels and they're cool, and it's fun to represent that,” Schlittler told Newsday before Tuesday night’s game against the Rays at the Stadium. “But at the same time, you're not really wearing the real pinstripes. You get a little bit of feel of that in Triple-A, when they have the pinstripes with the RailRiders on them and the Yankee logo on the side. But even then, it doesn't have that real feeling.
“So when you show up here and you're able to get that opportunity and actually wear the pinstripes and represent a top-three organization in baseball, that's a completely different feeling.”
The Massachusetts native earned the win in his MLB debut against the Mariners in front of family and friends at Yankee Stadium on July 9. He did not factor in the decision in five innings of two-run ball in Toronto last Tuesday, and he received his first loss Monday after surrendering three runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Rays.
With the trade deadline nearing, Schlittler – with an average four-seam fastball velocity of 97.9 mph, three above the average MLB righthander, according to Baseball Savant – can only control what is in his power.
“You just kind of got to ignore the noise,” Schlittler said. “There's a lot of people online saying whatever. I really try to stay off it and not really pay attention to any of it. Some small things have been brought to my attention. But at the end of the day, I'd probably be a little bit more concerned if I was in the minors still. A lot more question marks, I guess.
“But again, like, I earned a spot here. And again, I can't really control any of that stuff. But if they were to trade me, then I would go do my job somewhere else.”
The experience for the Northeastern University product has also been valuable in terms of learning, notably from Max Fried and Gerrit Cole.
Schlittler mentioned Monday’s first inning, in which he threw 31 pitches and allowed two runs. He had a conversation with Cole and Fried after the inning before throwing clean second, third and fourth innings.
They have also been observing his bullpens and providing critiques.
“It's been really good to just learn from veterans and future Hall of Famers,” Schlittler said.
As far as any trade noise, that will not subside until the deadline passes at 6 p.m. Thursday.
“Obviously, I'd love to be a Yankee,” Schlittler said. “That's the plan: be a Yankee for the rest of my life. But again, something I can't control and something I can't decide. So just trying to go day to day and just focus on what I can do on and off the field.”
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
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