NEW YORK – Cam Schlittler sent the Red Sox home with a magnificent performance last October, revealing he’d used online fan vitriol as fuel in striking out a dozen over eight scoreless innings. The right-hander took each of those barbs personally, this year remarking, “I think they learned their lesson.”
A year later, taunting the Cy Young Award frontrunner has developed into something of a sport in certain New England circles. As he prepares to draw the start in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, Schlittler appears intent upon delivering a refresher course to the folks back home.
“I wouldn’t say I’m always on my phone looking for that stuff,” Schlittler said. “At the same time, I don’t really live under a rock as well. I’ve found ways to use that to my advantage. I think I’m good at keeping receipts.”
The Yankees’ braintrust spent days debating their rotation in the Wild Card Series, only to arrive at a logical conclusion: Just hand the ball to the guy with the 1.95 ERA. Schlittler will be followed by Max Fried in Game 2. Gerrit Cole would start Game 3, if necessary.
“We love his makeup,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He's obviously super talented and really skilled, but he's also really tough and able to focus. It seems like the bigger the game, the better he seems to be.”
Coming after he’d been upset by social media messages directed toward his family, the performance in last year’s Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series secured Schlittler’s place in the rich tapestry of the New York-Boston rivalry.
The Walpole, Mass. product has continued to build upon that, relishing the chance to silence the team for which he once cheered.
"Cam loves to have fun, loves to make jokes," said outfielder Spencer Jones. "But he flips that switch when he gets on the mound. He knows he's got really good stuff. It's pretty impressive. You don't want to get in his way."
Going 2-1 with a 0.74 ERA in four starts against the Red Sox this season, Schlittler most recently faced them on Aug. 28, when he held Boston to two hits over 5 2/3 innings in the Yanks’ 1-0 victory.
“I faced other teams in the AL four times this year, and I’ve seen good success,” Schlittler said. “You’ve got to rely on your strengths. At the same time, you’ve got to see what adjustments they make and kind of just go from there.”
There’s little mystery about Schlittler’s game plan, as he relies heavily on three different fastballs – a four-seam, cutter and sinker – while mixing in a curve.
"He just believes he's going to get every single person out," said catcher Austin Wells. "I think if you're a hitter, you probably feel that a little bit too. His mindset definitely allows him to take it to the next level."
The Yankees have been keeping tabs on Schlittler’s workload as he comes off a 33-start campaign in which he fired a career-high 193 2/3 innings. That was part of their pause in announcing him for Game 1, weighing an extra day of rest.
“Cam is going to win the Cy Young Award and has been the best pitcher in the league,” Boone said. “It was just working through: do we want him in a Game 2 scenario with a chance to move on and slam the door, or if your back is against the wall?
“ … It was something we debated. Different people had different stances on it. I kind of considered both things, but ultimately decided this was the way I wanted to go.”
Schlittler’s 1.95 ERA is the Yankees’ lowest since Ron Guidry’s 1.74 in 1978, and he’s in line to become the seventh Yankee to win the Cy Young Award.
Neck and neck with the Blue Jays’ Dylan Cease in the Cy Young conversation for much of the season, Schlittler separated himself with a strong finish. He pitched to a 1.17 ERA (10 runs, seven earned) over his final nine starts, spanning 54 innings.
“He just doubled down on what we saw last year,” pitching coach Matt Blake said. “The fact that he’s held velo the way he has, the fact that he’s thrown probably more strikes than he did in July and August – it’s a testament to the work that he put in over the course of 30-plus starts to put himself in this spot.”
And to be in position to once again quiet the chirpers – a place he has come to know quite well.
“I feel like I’m a competitor,” Schlittler said. “It’s not something that bothers me. I’m going to go out there and do my job and put my team in the best position to win.”