Brian Cashman called him a “godsend.” Aaron Boone called him the league’s best pitcher who “might be the MVP too.”
Officially, Cam Schlittler now can be called a Cy Young Award winner.
In voting revealed Wednesday night, Schlittler was the unanimous selection for the top arm in the American League for his first and the Yankees’ seventh Cy Young Award.
“This season was great,” Schlittler said on a conference call before displaying the kind of never-satisfied mentality that Yankees fans adore. “But you look at how it finished — things could have definitely been better.”
The flame-throwing righty earned all 30 first-place votes to beat Toronto’s Dylan Cease (second) and Cleveland’s Parker Messick (third). This marks the 13th time an AL pitcher has won the award unanimously and third time a Yankee has done so, joining Gerrit Cole in 2023 and Ron Guidry in 1978.
The other Yankees to take home the honor were Roger Clemens (2001) — who announced Schlittler’s victory on MLB Network — Sparky Lyle (1977), Whitey Ford (1961) and Bob Turley (1958).
In his first full major league season, Schlittler posted the third-lowest ERA in franchise history (1.95, which led the AL), allowed one or zero runs in an MLB-best 21 starts and pitched the second-most innings (193 ²/₃) in the league.
New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler walks back to the dugout after ending the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I definitely could have had a better season. Obviously had a few hiccups along the road,” Schlittler said after one of the greatest pitching seasons in Yankees history. “So realistically, I think there’s things I can get better at, and that’s not going to be particularly in one area of the game, but just being out there on the mound and making certain adjustments in the game.”
A rotation that included the $324 million Cole, the $218 million Max Fried and $162 million Carlos Rodón was anchored by a 25-year-old who signed for $205,000 as a seventh-round pick and who seems to always find ways to improve.
Schlittler was plucked out of Red Sox country in 2022 as a lanky Northeastern starter whose fastball hovered in the low 90s. He put on weight and muscle, watched his velocity not just tick up but soar and ascended into one of the game’s brightest talents who relies on three types of fastballs that can touch triple digits.
“He bought into everything that we were selling from strength and conditioning to pitch profile, and he just turned himself into a beast with his work ethic and desire to be great,” Cashman said this week. “And obviously he added velocity that exceeded probably any of our expectations. So he’s been a godsend.”
Since debuting July 9, 2025, Schlittler has essentially been the best pitcher in baseball, pitching to the majors’ top ERA (2.23) while tying with Sandy Alcantara and Cristopher Sánchez for the majors’ most starts (47) and posting the third-best strikeout rate (30.3 percent).
In his first brief season, in which he was a revelation but human (2.96 ERA), Schlittler primarily used a four-seamer that he threw past opposing hitters.
In his more godly follow-up campaign, Schlittler developed a cutter, relied more on his sinker and had a curveball in his back pocket, which he notably used to shut down the Red Sox in Game 1 of the wild-card series.
New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler throws a pitch during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, July 19, 2026. Bill Kostroun/New York Post
It was the type of outing that has defined who Schlittler has been as a pro: Regardless of his degree of dominance, he is able to unlock a new level (or pitch) nearly at will.
Having reached the top of the mountain for pitchers, Schlittler is determined to keep climbing.
“You hope you can replicate a season like this,” he said from his home in Walpole, Mass., while surrounded by family. “Or even improve on it — multiple times.”
David Bednar finished sixth and Brent Headrick eighth in AL Reliever of the Year voting, an award won by Toronto’s Louis Varland.
— Additional reporting by Greg Joyce in Las Vegas