The New York Yankees have seen many great pitchers, but none have begun a season like Cam Schlittler in 2026. Following a standout 2025 postseason, the right-hander has made history as the first Yankee to open a year with consecutive starts of at least five scoreless innings and seven strikeouts each.
In his latest start against the Seattle Mariners, Schlittler was dominant, pitching 6.1 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, allowing only two hits and no walks. He retired the final 15 batters he faced, with batters making contact on just seven of 18 swings against his fastball.
Schlittler's rapid rise is remarkable, as he was in Double-A just a year ago. He cemented his place in Yankees lore during last season's wild-card game, striking out 12 over eight scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox.
Despite being limited by injuries in spring training and a pitch count in his first start, he has been unstoppable. The Yankees' rotation as a whole has been excellent, with a 5-1 record leading the American League.