In what was essentially a formality, Cam Schlittler was named a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award on Monday night.

The Yankees’ young ace was joined by Toronto’s Dylan Cease and Cleveland’s Parker Messick. However, Schlittler is expected to run away with the award when the winner is announced on Nov. 11.

The 25-year-old righty dazzled in his first full big league season, leading the AL with a 1.95 ERA. Schlittler, who went 14-6 with 239 strikeouts over 33 starts and 193.2 innings, also paced all AL starters with a 6.2 fWAR. His 2.56 FIP tied with Cease for the league lead.

While it’s no surprise that Schlittler is a Cy Young finalist, some, including Aaron Boone, campaigned for him to win a bigger award.

“He might be the MVP, too,” the manager said in mid-September. “These are the kinds of seasons where pitchers get in that mix for MVP, too.”

“I’m not a voter, but I don’t see why [Schlittler] couldn’t make a case for it,” Austin Wells added. “I think he should definitely get votes, so why not give it to him? He’s been the MVP of our team, for sure.”

Alas, Schlittler was not a top-three vote-getter for the trophy.

Instead, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero and Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. were named AL MVP finalists. Witt (7.0) and Alvarez (6.8) finished with a higher fWAR than Schlittler, but Caminero (5.3) did not.

While Schlittler won’t become the rare pitcher to add an MVP Award to his mantle, he is likely going to become the Yankees’ seventh Cy Young winner. It is anticipated that he’ll join Bob Turley (1958), Whitey Ford (1961), Sparky Lyle (1977), Ron Guidry (1978), Roger Clemens (2001) and his rotation-mate, Gerrit Cole (2023).

Yanks Planning To Meet With Japanese Teen

While nothing is on the books just yet, a source said that the Yankees are among the teams working to schedule a meeting with Japanese right-hander Shoki Oda later this month.

The Bombers are still considered longshots for the 18-year-old, who is pursuing baseball in the United States instead of beginning his career in Japan. However, their revamped international scouting department has expressed strong interest in Oda as the Yankees look to increase their presence in Asian amateur markets.

Former Top Prospect Cracks 40-Man Roster

The Yankees, who had a few open spots to play with, added Marco Luciano to their 40-man roster on Monday. A former top-100 prospect, the 25-year-old played in 41 MLB games for the Giants between 2023 and 2024. He posted a .590 OPS.

Luciano is coming off a strong season on the Yankees’ farm. He hit .293 with a .933 OPS, 27 homers and 78 RBI while splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A. A right-handed hitter, he primarily played second base but sprinkled in some left field and four innings at shortstop.