With Clarke Schmidt going on the IL with right forearm tightness, the Yankees have to call up a starter to replace him in their rotation.
One of the pitchers in the mix according to manager Aaron Boone is RHP Cam Schlittler, the Yankees’ top pitching prospect who has been dominant this season.
With 99 strikeouts, he has the fifth most punchouts in the Minor Leagues, sporting a 2.82 ERA across 76.2 innings pitched.
He has been beyond impressive this season, flashing a fastball that sits around 97 MPH with good vertical movement, and he sports three secondary pitches with nasty movement.
With the Yankees in desperate need of a starter, Schlittler makes the most sense for their rotation when it comes to both winning games and looking towards the future.
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The development and rise of Cam Schlittler has caught the organization’s attention throughout the season, as the right-hander now has a fastball that explodes out of his hand at 97 MPH.
A heater with a crazy-high 39% Whiff% this season, Schlittler has displayed the ability to spin this pitch even more effectively than previous seasons due to the gradually improving vertical ride it generates.
His brand-new cutter has been a difference-making pitch for him, with sharp movement both laterally and vertically that allows it to get soft contact and some whiffs.
Schlittler also possesses a sweeping slider and a big curveball, with both of those pitches having more velocity and movement than one would expect.
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With a strikeout rate over 31% and a walk rate under 9%, Schlittler has displayed a strong ability to attack the zone and overpower hitters.
His most recent start was a disaster, but upon watching the tape you see that the grand slam he allowed came following an error and a bunt with a throwing error on top of it.
It was a disaster of an inning that came with some awful defense, and the Yankees should be more concerned with his unbelievable swing-and-miss rates in Triple-A.
While most pitchers struggle to adjust to the new level, he has dominated the competition, and with their alternatives being Allan Winans and Carlos Carrasco, Cam Schlittler might just be their best bet.
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