He joins Toronto’s Dylan Cease and Cleveland’s Parker Messick for the honor. The winner will be announced on November 11. This news comes as no shock to Yankees fans. Schlittler dominated the league this year. He led all starters with a 1.95 ERA. That mark trails only Spud Chandler and Ron Guidry in franchise history. It is a rare feat for a pitcher in pinstripes.
The manager saw this coming long before the vote. Aaron Boone called Schlittler an MVP candidate back in September. “He might be the MVP, too,” the manager said in mid-September, according to New York Daily News. Schlittler finished with 239 strikeouts and 14 wins. He posted a 6.2 fWAR, not the highest in the league. Yet he did not get enough MVP votes. Bobby Witt Jr. and Yordan Alvarez finished ahead of him. Their fWAR numbers were higher, but Schlittler’s pitching was elite. The gap between the pitcher and the hitters was too wide for voters.
A Historic Season for the Yankees
This season ranks among the best pitching years in team history. The league lead in FIP was shared by Cease and Schlittler at 2.56. He allowed just 129 hits in 193.2 innings. His opponent on-base percentage sat at .244. These numbers show total control over the game. If he wins, he becomes the seventh Yankees pitcher to take the trophy. He would join Bob Turley, Whitey Ford, and Roger Clemens. That is a very strong company to keep.
The team celebrated the news on social media. The official post read: “Congratulations Cam Schlittler on being named a 2026 AL Cy Young finalist 🔥”, according to Heavy.com. Fans agreed with the praise. One supporter said, “He definitely deserves it! I will be surprised if he doesn’t win.” Another noted that his performance has been impressive all year. The hype is real, but the vote count is what matters.
What the League Says
Other players have weighed in on the race too. Knicks star Josh Hart made his pick early. “Schlitty is the Cy Young winner, hands down,” Hart said in a June 19 social media post, according to MLB.com. Schlittler replied to the compliment with grace. “Josh is a great guy,” Schlittler said. “I met him in the playoffs when they were on their way to a championship, and he came to the stadium after they won. I wish those guys the best. Hopefully they can do it again next year.”
The race is tight, but the stats favor the Yankees pitcher. He already took home the MLB Players Association award for the league’s top pitcher. That honor shows his peers respect his work. The Cy Young voting results will be revealed next week. The results will be revealed on MLB Network. No other Yankee placed top three in any major BBWAA honor besides Schlittler. No Bombers were nominated for MVP or Manager of the Year. This makes the Cy Young spot even more special.
The Final Stretch
Yankees fans will watch November 11 closely. The gap between Schlittler and the MVP finalists was small in WAR, but the voting rules favor hitters. Austin Wells, the Yankees catcher, felt the pitcher deserved a shot. “I think he should definitely get votes, so why not give it to him? He’s been the MVP of our team, for sure,” Wells said. He added, “I’m not a voter, but I don’t see why [Schlittler] couldn’t make a case for it.”
The season is over, but the awards season just started. Schlittler has done his part. He put up numbers that will be hard to beat. Now he waits for the writers to decide. If he wins, the Yankees add another chapter to their pitching legacy. If he falls short, the 1.95 ERA still stands as a historic mark.
