Cam Schlittler's early-July promotion to the Yankees has aged well.
The 24-year-old RHP is 2-2 with a 2.76 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in eight starts, and in New York manager Aaron Boone's words before Monday's 10-5 win over the Washington Nationals, "a future staple of our rotation."
"That's the first time I'm hearing it," Schlittler said of Boone's comments. "So, for me, that's a great feeling.
"Again, as a rookie, you can't get too comfortable. So, just important for me to go out there and continue to do my job. Like I said last week, try to get to six, seven innings and put the team in a spot to win."
Schlittler threw 63 strikes on 96 pitches in six scoreless innings, striking out eight and walking three while allowing four hits. Schlittler followed his MLB-best start last Wednesday, a 6-4 Yankees win in 10 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, where he allowed one hit while striking out eight and walking two over 6.2 IP.
"I don't even want to go as far as to say he was unexpected, because he was very highly thought of going into spring training — albeit, at that point, still a prospect," Boone said after Monday's game, which saw Schlittler become the first rookie in franchise history with consecutive starts of eight-plus strikeouts through 6+ innings.
"He showed some really good things in spring training when he got real opportunities, and he's put together a great minor-league season earning his way up here, and he's continued that at the big-league level. So, yeah, I think, coming out of spring training, it's a pleasant surprise to say he's a key part of our rotation now going down the stretch. But way stranger things have happened."
Schlittler's spring training saw him allow nine runs (eight earned) on 15 hits (two homers) while striking out 13 and walking 10 in 16.1 IP over five games with four starts. In his five starts this season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he scattered 11 runs (10 earned) on 20 hits (three homers) while striking out 35 and walking nine over 23.2 IP.
"The interesting thing about him was he wasn't always this kind of guy," catcher Ben Rice said of Schlittler, who started the season with Double-A Somerset before his June 3 promotion to Triple-A. "The first year of professional baseball he was in, he started in extended spring training. He was not a velocity guy by any means.
"But to his credit, he put in the work. He put his head down, put on weight, put on muscle and really made himself into just a really good pitcher. Obviously added velocity, but was able to work on his command as well and we're seeing it translate at this level."
The Yankees selected Schlittler, from Northeastern University, with the No. 220 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft. The 6-foot-6, 225-pounder has since developed into a key cog for New York's starting rotation — now and potentially in the years to come.
"I think it comes down to really hard work and just kind of putting in that work in the offseason and putting weight on and trying to figure out my body a little bit, just kind of growing into myself as a player, as a person," Schlittler said.
"So, at the end of the day, people tell you what to do. But you've got to be able to go do it when no one's watching, so I just put on myself in the offseason, making sure I come into spring training ready to go."
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