Cam Schlittler’s intensity did not wane even when his night was over.
The New York Yankees’ starting pitcher, making his major league debut on Wednesday night against the Seattle Mariners, had just been pulled by manager Aaron Boone with one out in the sixth inning after he allowed three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. The crowd of 35,000-plus at Yankee Stadium saluted him with a standing ovation.
He didn’t really see it.
“I probably should have looked up more,” he said. “It was loud. Really loud.”
It was a salute well-earned for the 24-year-old right-hander, who channeled his anticipatory energy into a solid introduction to life in the majors, and came away with a victory for it in the Yankees’ 9-6 triumph.
“That’s been my goal my whole life,” Schlittler said. “It’s really good to go out there, put the team in a position to win, and just live out that dream.”
His calling card is his fastball, which often overpowered minor leaguers earlier this season, as he compiled a 2.82 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 76.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
Throwing it 53.3% of the time on Wednesday night in the Bronx, with an average speed of 97.9 mph and topping out at an even 100 mph against Randy Arozarena in the first inning, Seattle batters mustered just two hits against it.
His slider, which averages near 92 mph, did the rest of the heavy lifting, as it generated three whiffs on just 21 deliveries.
Boone and the Yankees could not have asked for much more from the debutant, who provided some relief to an injury-riddled rotation. With Gerrit Cole sidelined for the season and Luis Gil not coming back until after the All-Star break, New York lost Clarke Schmidt for the remainder of 2025 and maybe all of 2026 with a torn UCL that needs Tommy John surgery.
He has been guaranteed at least one more start.
“He’s in a great spot,” Boone said. “He earned this opportunity, not just because there’s a bunch of guys down, but because he’s absolutely the guy that’s put up the numbers and done the work in the first few months. He’s got a big arm, and he continues to get better.”
