Listen up, because what’s happening with Cam Schlittler for the Yankees right now is wild. This dude has completely abandoned breaking balls and is hitting batters with 90% fastballs, and get this: his name is already in the hat for the AL Cy Young Award in just his first full year in the big leagues! It’s early in the season, sure, but what an absolute statement.
From Underdog to Unhinged
You hear about all these MLB studs coming from big-time D1 programs, right? LSU, Vanderbilt, Miami, you know the drill. But Schlittler? Nah, he balled out at Northeastern University, showing everyone what was up by getting named the Coastal Athletic Association’s rookie of the year and a freshman All-American. He clearly caught some eyes, because the Yankees snagged him in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft. It took a few seasons of grinding it out in the minors, but last July, opportunity knocked when Clarke Schmidt went down with an injury. Schlittler got the call, and he delivered, even picking up a win against the Boston Red Sox in the postseason. That’s a taste of what he can do under pressure.
The Pure Heat Strategy That’s Dominating
But last year was just the appetizer. This season, Schlittler has unlocked something new, and it’s absolutely jaw-dropping. As MLB.com’s Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru reported, Schlittler decided to scrap his breaking pitches. Forget mixing speeds, forget the curveball. This man is just throwing gas, 90% fastballs. Sounds unhinged, right? Like, who does that in the big leagues? But here’s the genius behind it: he doesn’t just throw *a* fastball. He throws three variations: a primary four-seamer, a cutter, and a sinker. Even if a batter is sitting on the velocity, these three pitches do wildly different things. It creates a problem for hitters that’s being compared to facing Garrett Crochet, and that’s not a comp anyone gives lightly. This approach has clearly paid off big time, giving him a career year already and putting him on the early radar for one of the most prestigious awards in baseball.
It’s still early in the season, but Schlittler’s unique, high-heat approach is definitely something to watch. If he keeps this up, that Cy Young chatter is only going to get louder. You gotta wonder how long the league can keep running into the same problem before they figure him out, or if they even can!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply