The New York Yankees are rolling with their presumptive AL Cy Young winner, Cam Schlittler, to kick off Game 1 of the Wild Card Series Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. This ain’t some casual decision, either. The Yanks officially locked him in Sunday, with Max Fried following in Game 2 and Gerrit Cole ready for a potential Game 3.
Why Schlittler Is THE Guy
This choice isn’t just about his lights-out 2026 season, though that 1.95 ERA over 193 ⅔ innings and 239 strikeouts in his first full MLB year is insane for a 25-year-old. Nah, this is about Boston. Schlittler owns the Red Sox, plain and simple. Last year, he dropped one of the greatest postseason pitching performances ever on them in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series, punching out 12 and walking zero in eight shutout innings. That was only the fourth 12-strikeout postseason game in Yankees history. For his career against Boston, the dude rocks a ridiculous 0.55 ERA over five starts, giving up just two earned runs in 32 ⅓ innings. You can’t make this stuff up. And here’s the kicker: the Red Sox rank 25th in the league with a .687 OPS against 95-plus mph fastballs. Guess what Schlittler throws? An upper-90s heater, four-seamer, sinker, cutter, roughly 90% of the time. It’s a perfect matchup, almost unfair.
The Strategy Behind The Start
Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake even admitted they chewed over “three or four different iterations” for the rotation, including where to slot Carlos Rodón, who wasn’t chosen. They even considered holding Schlittler for Game 2, leaning on that old Joe Torre wisdom which says Game 2 is the most pivotal game of a series. Why? Because you’re either looking to take a 2-0 lead or you’re fighting tooth and nail to avoid an 0-2 hole, making it a potential clincher or an elimination game. It’s high stakes. But when you have a guy like Schlittler, who lines up this perfectly against your opponent, you gotta roll with him in Game 1. This Game 1 start also sets Schlittler up nicely if the Yankees advance past Boston. With an extra off-day scheduled after Game 1 of the ALDS this year, he could actually start Game 2 of that next series with extra rest and then potentially Game 5 on normal rest. That’s a monster setup, allowing him to potentially make three starts in their first seven or eight postseason games. Max Fried, who’s got a 2.80 ERA over 20 starts this year despite two injured list stints for an elbow bone bruise, will definitely be needed for Game 2. While his velocity has been a tick down since his return last month, he’s still a seven-pitch guy with strong command who can get outs.
So, Tuesday night isn’t just Game 1, it’s a statement. It’s Schlittler and his ridiculous fastball against a team that can’t hit it. The Yankees are betting big on their ace to dominate the Red Sox, and frankly, why wouldn’t they? Get ready for some serious heat to kick off the Wild Card Series.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply