He took the American League Cy Young Award in his first full season. Every single writer on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot picked him. This win ends a two-year streak by Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers, according to CBS Sports. The 25-year-old right-hander now stands as the seventh Yankee to ever win the honor.
Schlittler posted a 1.95 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP while striking out 239 batters. His 215 ERA+ sets a new franchise record for the Yankees. Only Ron Guidry came close with 208 back in 1978, per CBS Sports. Schlittler also led all AL pitchers with a 7.0 WAR mark. As noted by MLB Trade Rumors, he was the sole qualified pitcher in the league with an ERA below 2.00.
A Historic Season for the Rotation
Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised the ace immediately after the announcement. “Cam had as dominant a season as a starting pitcher can have from start to finish,” Boone said in a statement. The team went 21-12 in his starts this year. Schlittler made 33 starts and threw 193 and two-thirds innings. He tied for the league lead with a 2.56 FIP. His strikeout rate of 31.4 percent ranked second in the AL.
He joined a very exclusive club of unanimous winners for the Yankees. Ron Guidry won in 1978 and Gerrit Cole won in 2023. Schlittler is now the third to ever receive this honor. Previous winners include Bob Turley, Whitey Ford, Sparky Lyle, and Roger Clemens. The pitcher also led the league in opponents’ on-base percentage at .244. His ERA was the third-lowest in team history for a qualified pitcher.
Confidence and Future Growth
“I definitely could have had a better season,” Schlittler said. He also admitted to feeling the weight of the race for months. “I feel like it’s been a lot of months kind of wondering or having that pressure on me,” he added. Yet his self-belief never wavered during the grind. “I’ve always had a lot of confidence in myself, and that’s kind of how I’ve gotten to this point,” Schlittler said.
Teammates noticed his rise early on. Paul Goldschmidt saw the potential before the award came through. “He might win the Cy Young, and that’s great,” Goldschmidt said that night. Goldschmidt believes he has the tools to stay at the top for a decade. “But I’m really excited to see how he progresses,” the veteran slugger noted. Schlittler also tied for the AL lead in innings among qualified pitchers.
Playoff Glimpse and Long Control
His performance in the playoffs showed his big-game stuff. He started Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against Boston. Over 6 and one-third innings, Schlittler kept his hometown Red Sox scoreless. He struck out 10 batters to earn the win. The Rays scored four runs against him in his second and final playoff appearance.
The Yankees secured his services for the long haul. He is under club control for another five seasons. Dylan Cease of the Blue Jays placed second in the voting. Parker Messick of the Guardians took third place. Schlittler’s 239 strikeouts ranked third in the league behind Gavin Williams and Cease, per MLB Trade Rumors.
