The New York Yankees start their final series of the regular season against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Yankees manager Aaron Boone has led his team into a tie for the top spot in the American League East this week. A good showing against Baltimore could help the team secure a bye in the postseason. Despite that, Cam Schlitter could play a big role behind Max Fried.
Boone has been building his playoff strategy for a couple of weeks. Fried will be his No. 1 starter in New York's first series, with Carlos Rodon coming in behind him. However, the third spot has been up for grabs. The Yankees had to decide between Schlittler, Luis Gil, and Will Warren.
Based on New York's pitching schedule, it looks like Schlittler is the pick, according to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner.
“Yankees vs. Orioles probable pitchers: Friday: Will Warren vs. Trevor Rogers. Saturday: Cam Schlittler vs. Tomoyuki Sugano,” Kirschner confirmed. “Sunday: Luis Gil vs. Kyle Bradish.”
If New York finds itself in a Wild Card series, Schlittler's start would come in Game 3 on normal rest. The team is even with the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, but have to overcome a tiebreaker to secure the AL's top seed. Regardless of what happens, Schlittler will be the third starter to take the mound for New York in the playoffs.
Schlittler has been great since joining the Yankees from the minor leagues earlier this season. New York has been without Gerrit Cole thanks to Tommy John surgery and have leaned on the rookie heavily down the stretch. Even with Gil back from the Yankees' injured list, Boone appears ready to give Schlittler a chance to prove himself in the postseason.
New York's offense has been excellent recently, led by MVP favorite Aaron Judge. If Schlittler can deliver in the playoffs, the Yankees have what it takes to avenge a World Series loss in 2024.
