NEW YORK -- The Yankees had just edged the Phillies on a Friday evening in July, with Paul Goldschmidt belting a homer that represented the game’s only run. Savoring the victory, the veteran slugger allowed his thoughts to drift beyond those nine innings -- toward Cam Schlittler's potential hardware, and much more.
“He might win the Cy Young, and that’s great,” Goldschmidt said that night. “But I’m really excited to see how he progresses. When you’re at the highest level, you’re thinking about guys that are doing it for 10-plus years. I think Cam definitely has the mindset, the physical tools to do it.”
He has taken the first step. Schlittler was named the unanimous winner of the American League’s Cy Young Award on Wednesday evening, as announced on MLB Network.
Dylan Cease of the Blue Jays finished second and Parker Messick of the Guardians was third.
Schlittler is the Yankees’ seventh Cy Young Award winner, and their first since Gerrit Cole in 2023. Previous honorees include: Bob Turley (1958), Whitey Ford (1961), Sparky Lyle (1977), Ron Guidry (1978) and Roger Clemens (2001).
In his first full Major League season, Schlittler went 14-6 with an AL-best 1.95 ERA, pacing the AL in pitching WAR (6.2) and opponent on-base percentage (.244).
Schlittler’s ERA was the third-lowest mark in franchise history by a qualified pitcher, trailing only Spud Chandler (1.64 in 1943) and Guidry (1.74 in 1978).
To anyone who spent time in the Yankees’ dugout this season, the selection seemed a foregone conclusion.
“He’s going to win the Cy Young,” manager Aaron Boone said during the season. “I think he’s just continued to get better, year in and year out. This is largely in line with who we saw down the stretch when he got called up last year.”
Schlittler struck out 239 batters against 49 walks and 129 hits allowed in 193 2/3 innings; those 239 K’s tied Jack Chesbro (1904) for the fourth-most by a Yankees pitcher in a single season.
Schlittler permitted one run or fewer in a Major League-best 21 starts, and allowed three runs or fewer in 29 starts, tied for the most in the Majors. Since his debut in July 2025, the East Walpole, Mass., product has led all Major League starters in ERA (2.23).
“There’s been a lot going on the last year,” Schlittler said. “I started the [2025] season in Double-A after I got my first little taste of Spring Training. They gave me an opportunity and I just kind of ran with it.”
Feeding off hostile environments, Schlittler was especially dominant on the road, going 8-2 with a 1.16 ERA in 17 starts. He led Major Leaguers in road ERA, strikeouts (129), opponent batting average (.153), opponent OPS (.456) and WHIP (0.74).
“I’ve played with Cam since Double-A, so it’s not shocking to me what he’s doing now,” said rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. “I’ve always seen the competitiveness and fire in him, and obviously the nasty stuff.”
Remember when Schlittler’s stellar performance to send the Red Sox home in the 2025 AL Wild Card Series was celebrated as the game of his life? As it turned out, that was just the opening act. Boone called him the “best pitcher in the league,” and the voters agreed.
“I think sometimes you just naturally lock in a little bit more,” Schlittler said. “The goal is to find a way to treat every game the same.”
Now, with a Cy Young Award on his mantle, the real question ahead is this -- what will Schlittler do for an encore? Goldschmidt is among those who can’t wait to find out.
“He’s got a lot of great role models, the starting pitchers on this team -- Carlos [Rodón], Max [Fried], Gerrit,” Goldschmidt said. “I don’t know if it gets better than guys who have really done it for a long time. Even when he has a rough one, the next game, he’s just the same guy and very competitive. It’ll be really fun to watch his career.”