The Yankees are currently planning to add pitching prospect Cam Schlittler to the big league roster on either Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Joel Sherman and Dan Martin of the New York Post. Multiple transactions will be required in advance since Schlittler isn’t on the 40-man roster, though 40-man space can be easily created by moving Clarke Schmidt to the 60-day injured list. Schmidt will miss the rest of the season due to an expected Tommy John surgery, which has opened the door for Schlittler to make his Major League debut.
Allan Winans was only just optioned to Triple-A last Sunday and thus his minimum 15-day stay in the minors isn’t yet up, unless another injury arises in the next few days to allow New York to bring Winans back to the Show. Should a forthcoming injury create a path back for Winans, the Yankees might change course, which is why Sherman and Martin note that the club hasn’t yet absolutely decided to call Schlittler up.
Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, and Will Warren comprise the top four pitchers in a rotation that has now taken another big injury hit with the loss of Schmidt, on top of Gerrit Cole’s Tommy John surgery in March. Luis Gil has missed the entire season due to a lat strain and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break, while Sherman/Martin write that swingman Ryan Yarbrough is expected to be out until August while recovering from an oblique strain. This means Schlittler might get a bit of an extended audition beyond just a start in New York’s upcoming series with the Mariners, unless Winans is recalled or if the Yankees perhaps acquired another pitcher.
A seventh-round pick for the Yankees in the 2022 draft, Schlittler has a 3.33 ERA over 243 1/3 career pro innings, starting 50 of his 54 games. This year, he has a 2.38 ERA over 53 innings of Double-A ball and a 3.80 ERA in 23 2/3 innings at Triple-A. Schlittler has an impressive 31.9% strikeout rate over his 76 2/3 total innings this season, as well as an 8.4% walk rate and a 47.8% grounder rate. The right-hander has consistently done a good job of keeping the ball on the ground, though this does leave him open to some batted-ball variance, such as his .350 BABIP in the minors this season.
Baseball America ranks the 6’6″, 210-pound Schlittler fifth on their list of the Yankees’ minor league prospects, while he sits tenth on MLB Pipeline’s Yankees farm rankings. Both outlets put a 60-grade on Schlittler’s fastball, which averages around 94mph and can hit as high as 97-98mph, plus BA’s scouting report cites the pitch’s “15 inches of induced vertical break.” BA’s report is also a big fan of the sweeper Schlittler has been developing, which nicely complements his more standard slider. This combination of pitches hints that Schlittler could be a very promising reliever if his future as a starter doesn’t work out, but evaluators feel he has a chance to stick as at least a back-end rotation member.
Well, let’s see how Cam handles the big leagues. Good luck young man!
Let’s see how these announcers who keep slipping up handle his last name.
Try saying Schmidt to Schlittler three times really fast!
Yankees hoping this move doesn’t swirl down the Schlittler. I know, I got caught up in going for a cheap laugh! Bad Uncle Mike.
Oh Unclemike….as you are a Cub fan…Brian Schlitter redefined that swirl during his handful of stints at Wrigley in the early 2010s. He was really, really, really tough to watch.
Almost 95% of the cheap laughs here are pretty aggravating….but yours brings back some spot on memories.
Good luck, Schlitzy!!!
They are only bringing him up to showcase him for a trade. If he has 1-2 decent showing in the majors, he can be worth more in a package than if he was just a AAA guy with potential.
I don’t think that’s the case anymore after Schmidt’s injury. Schlittler could still get moved in the offseason but I think he sticks with the Yankees past the trade deadline
I think he could be packaged for a veteran starter at the deadline. Maybe not quite the level of an Alcantara, but perhaps the next level of starter on the market. That is the thing with a team like the Yankees. They don’t have to put prospects in there and hope they can do good. They package them to someone else and let them take the risk in exchange for a proven commodity.
You COULD easily be correct, but I think they will go my way.
The Ybakees should promote Schlittler’s Mother.
Does it really matter what the Yankees do? The Yankees are knee deep Boone induced mid season slump. This kid stands about a snowball’s chance in h377 of picking up a win or making a difference on this team.
This one name presents two separate and distinct dangers to the health and wellbeing of broadcast careers
Long may be schling ‘em.
Every 3-2 count there’s a reference to Christmas Vacation. “Schlittler’s full!”
Thank all the gods John Sterling is gone. He’d probably say something like “schlit count”, “schlitting hairs”, or “schlit in my mouth”.
Does Cam ACTUALLY throw a SCHLITTLER??
Cam would be a universal top 75 prospect if he were on the Red Sox. Utterly dominant this season.
Yankees season is over
Another piece of schlit prospect? 🤣
To avoid embarrassing mispronounciations, announcers would be smart to use his nickname “Schlitty”
Yankee draft pick so I’m assuming he’ll be a dud.
If he’s wild and can’t throw a strike will they say he’s constiplated?
Like the old scouts in the Moneyball story would say about prospects — Schlittler has the good baseball face. He is a 6’6 / 240 lbs. righty, big arm, could sit 97 mph with the heater but is throwing comfortably — hasn’t mastered a changeup or a sinker and is getting a lot of strikeouts with his four seamer / slider / sweeper / curveball. The type of pitcher that can add a sinker or a good changeup and really take his game to the next level. He looks like the righty compliment to Rodon.
I came here for word play. Glad the comments didn’t get shut down with that name! Wonder how many they had to delete.
Oh man, the Yanks’ season is in the schlittler! (someone had to say it)
A guy named Schlittler walks into a bar and orders a stiff drink to this Lovelady and she proceeds by giving him a ………..
Come for the latest mlb rumors, stay and savor the comedic genius. We’re here every night folks…tell Big Tony at the door SOB sent ya.