Jul 10, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws to the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images
What could Cam Schlittler possibly do for an encore?
The New York Yankees’ right-handed ace just put together one of the greatest pitching seasons in franchise history in what was his first full season in the majors. He now has the hardware to show for it, as he was unanimously named the American League Cy Young Award winner.
“I’ve always had a lot of confidence in myself, and that’s kind of how I’ve gotten to this point,” Schlittler said. “Realistically, when you come into your first full season, do you think you’re going to do that? Maybe not, but you also have the confidence that you can do that.”
The 25-year-old went 14-6 with a league-best 1.95 ERA and a 6.2 pitching WAR. He also held opponents to an AL-leading .244 on-base percentage. That 1.95 ERA is the third-lowest ever by a qualified starting pitcher in franchise history behind Spud Chandler (1.64 in 1943) and Ron Guidry (1.74 in 1978).
His 239 strikeouts are tied for fourth-most in team history.
He is the seventh Yankee to win the Cy Young Award, joining Bob Turley (1958), Whitey Ford (1961), Sparky Lyle (1977), Guidry (1978), Roger Clemens (2001), and Gerrit Cole (2023). Only Guidry and Cole were unanimous winners.
His place in the Yankees’ annals is impressive enough, but perhaps what isn’t being talked about enough is just how good of a season this was from someone so young — and how rare it has been.
Since the start of the live ball era (1920), only five qualified pitchers in the American League age 25 or younger have had a full season with a 1.95 ERA or better: Hal Newhouser (1.81 in 1945, 1.94 in 1946), Sam McDowell (1.81 in 1968), Dave McNally (1.95 in 1968), Vida Blue (1.82 in 1971), and Blake Snell (1.89 in 2018).
“Cam had as dominant a season as a starting pitcher can have from start to finish,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s shown an astonishing amount of growth since we drafted him, and his success is no accident. Cam has a tireless appetite for hard work and refinement that has allowed his talents to truly flourish. This Cy Young is richly deserved. Cam was the most dominant pitcher in our league and continues to grow into a foundational player for this franchise.”
Yet, somehow, Schlittler still thinks his ceiling is higher than this — though it is mostly predicated on team success.
“I definitely could have had a better season,” Schlittler said. “We had a few hiccups along the road, so realistically, I think there are things I can get better at. I feel like the season was great, but as you look at how it finished, things definitely could have been better.”