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Cam Schlittler has officially secured the seventh American League Cy Young Award in New York Yankees franchise history. Claiming a clean sweep of the prestigious pitching honor, he joined Ron Guidry in 1978 and Gerrit Cole in 2023 as the only Yankees to win the award unanimously.
A Historic Season on the Mound
Fending off fellow frontrunner Dylan Cease with a strong finish to the season, Schlittler produced the best pitching performance for the franchise since Guidry’s memorable campaign. He finished the year with a 14-6 record across 33 starts, posting a 1.95 ERA, 215 ERA+, 2.56 FIP, 0.92 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts over 193.2 innings. He also led all American League starters with 6.2 fWAR and set a single-season franchise record with 21 starts allowing one or fewer runs. Following a 22-year drought after Roger Clemens won the award in 2001, the Yankees have now claimed two of the last four AL Cy Young honors between Cole and Schlittler.
Overcoming Early Doubts
Reflecting on his own previous evaluations, sports.com writer admitted to missing the mark on Schlittler’s trajectory after initially criticizing his mechanics, command, and inconsistent slider during the 2025 regular season. Early assessments highlighted issues with secondary pitches and perceived him as a thrower rather than a complete pitcher when he posted a 3.94 ERA, 5.26 FIP, and a 10.8-percent walk rate over his first half-dozen starts. However, Schlittler actively identified areas for improvement, consulting with Yankees pitching coaches and veteran teammates to analyze pitch metric data and high-speed video.
Mechanical Adjustments and Pitch Evolution
Modifications to his delivery included simplifying his mechanics by engaging his lower half more, sinking his hips for leg drive, and shortening his arm path for a more compact stroke. This adjustment improved his command and allowed him to consistently reach up to 101 mph while targeting the top of the zone. A pivotal conversation with Cole before the season led him to reshape his unpredictable slider into a hard cutter, transforming a weakness into one of the league’s top cutters and enhancing the effectiveness of his fastballs.
Demonstrating further growth during the second half of the season, Schlittler developed a new curveball to complement his fastball dominance. During the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, he utilized a career-high 32 curveballs to disrupt the opposing gameplan, proving his continuous dedication to evolving as a pitcher rather than relying solely on velocity.
