Ever since losing a pivotal series a couple weekends ago against the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees have rebounded in a strong manner. The Bronx Bombers have won their last three series, including a sweep of the Washington Nationals right after the disappointing showing versus Boston. It's well-known that the Yankees have struggled with injuries, especially on the pitching side. However, the development of rookie starter Cam Schlittler has been one of the team's most noteworthy developments this season. The Athletic's Chris Kirschner spoke with several members of the New York brass, including director of pitching development Sam Briend.
“Not only is it probably the highest return on investment that we’ve ever had in my six years here, but it’s the most holistic success story,” Briend told Kirschner on Friday. “Almost every department inside our organization has had a hand in this kid getting to the big leagues and not only getting to the big leagues. The jumps he’s made are actually ridiculous.”
According to Kirschner, Schlittler has thrown 50 of the fastest pitches by any Yankees pitcher this season. With New York in possession of the top AL Wild Card spot, manager Aaron Boone and his team will now attempt to retake the AL East. Luckily for the Bombers, Friday is the start of a three-game set against the division leading Toronto Blue Jays. Currently three games behind the Jays, a sweep of the leaders would put them in a tie at the top. Can Schlittler continue his magnificent start and lead the Yankees past Toronto in Friday's series opener?
Can Yankees get back to World Series this season?
The Yankees seemed to have gotten past their struggles from a couple months ago. Now, the focus is once again fully on getting back to October. Last season's loss in the World Series was particularly painful, as Boone's decisions played a part in New York not capturing title number 28.
However, the players were also not blameless. Multiple mistakes, including in a Game 5 that clinched the title for the Los Angeles Dodgers, by stars like Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, helped doom the Yankees to a Fall Classic defeat. Can Schlittler not only contribute to a Friday win but also pitch for New York in the postseason. If the rookie continues his lights out performance, then some late October magic might led to that elusive 28th championship.
