New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler has been a valuable arm through his first nine starts, and the team might now choose to trust him in October.
Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake recently suggested that Schlittler could make a Postseason start, and was sure to praise the 24-year-old’s even demeanor on the bump.
“He has a pretty steady character,” Blake told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “I think the moment is not too big for him. He knows that he can pitch in the strike zone, which is a big part of it. I think that part of the game is important. When you get to the postseason, you’re probably facing teams that control the zone a little bit better, so you’re not going to get as much reckless chase in those lineups. I think the fact that he can throw his fastball in the zone, and he does at a high rate, would give you a chance in the postseason.”
Over 48.1 innings, Schlittler has posted a 2.61 ERA and recorded 54 strikeouts. The Walpole native is one of four pitchers in franchise history to have at least 50 strikeouts and a sub-3.00 ERA in his first nine career games, joining Dave Righetti, Orlando Hernandez, and Masahiro Tanaka.
More experienced starters such as Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Luis Gil all figure to make Postseason appearances for the Yankees. But the team could choose to grant Schlittler a start over another young arm like Will Warren.
“With each start, I’m definitely feeling more comfortable,” Schlittler said after throwing six innings of one-run baseball against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. “I’m not trying to get too comfortable, but just kind of understand that I go out there and be confident in myself and do what I need to do for hopefully six innings.”
The Yankees own the American League’s top Wild Card spot and are only two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East standings.
