NEW YORK (AP) — Cam Schlittler was so dominant Friday night that even a member of the NBA champion New York Knicks thinks the tall right-hander is the top pitcher in the American League.
Schlittler had the best regular-season outing of his brief career Friday night for the New York Yankees, striking out 13 in six overpowering innings and using three types of high-velocity fastballs in a 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
In his 30th major league
start, the 6-foot-8 Schlittler eclipsed his previous career high of nine strikeouts. Against the Reds, he dominated in a way similar to the deciding Game 3 of last year's AL Wild Card Series against the rival Boston Red Sox when he struck out 12 in eight innings.
Two nights after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium along with Knicks teammate Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart posted on social media about Schlittler, saying: “Schlitty is the Cy Young winner hands down.”
“That’s a good thing to hear,” Schlittler said. “Josh is a great guy. I talked to him after the first playoff game. I’m pumped for him and the city of New York just being able to finish that off and it’s great to have his support.”
Schlittler (8-3) notched five strikeouts on his four-seam fastball that averaged 97.9 mph. The seventh-round draft pick had four strikeouts apiece on cutters and sinkers while throwing first-pitch strikes to 15 of 23 hitters after three straight winless starts.
“From back there, he looks crazy nasty,” New York second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said.
At 25 years, 134 days, Schlittler became the youngest Yankees pitcher with 13 strikeouts since Al Downing (22 years, 359 days) also fanned 13 against the Chicago White Sox on June 21, 1964.
“I think he’s able to go so deep in the game sometimes because they generate such weak contact and he’s just filling up the zone,” Yankees first baseman Ben Rice said. “It is a little surprising. At the same time, if you told me he had 13 Ks in a game, I’d be like, that checks out."
Schlittler also became the youngest Yankees pitcher to strike out 13 without issuing a walk. He threw 66 of 96 pitches for strikes and got his 10th strikeout when Eugenio Suárez swung at a 99.1 mph sinker to end the fourth.
“He kind of came as advertised,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “It’s 90s and it’s a fastball that’s not straight. One’s cutting, one’s sinking, one’s at the top of the zone. It’s pretty impressive.”
Schlittler caught Matt McLain looking at a 100 mph fastball in the fifth and got his final strikeout with a 98 mph fastball against JJ Bleday in the sixth. Schlittler allowed four hits and exited to a standing ovation after stranding two runners in the sixth.
“Tonight I felt like he was on top of his game and had it going and the stuff was electric,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I felt like he was in control and kind of dominating the game a little bit.”
Schlittler has a 1.71 ERA, lowest for a Yankees pitcher through 16 starts in a season since Whitey Ford was at 1.47 in 1964. Opponents are batting .194 against Schlittler, who has ascended to the top of a Yankees rotation that just got Gerrit Cole back from elbow surgery last month and has been missing Max Fried since mid-May.
All of which only enhances Schlittler's case to start next month’s All-Star Game.
“We can all say he’s probably been the best, one of the best pitchers in the sport,” Boone said. “There’s all kinds of things that go into that and that’s a few weeks away. We’ll see. He’s definitely, I think you can make the case he’s been the best pitcher in the American League so far.”
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