Yankees' Cam Schlittler velocity, stats make clear his 2026 MLB season upside

The New York Yankees have a lot of reasons for optimism with their starting pitching rotation for the 2026 MLB season.

Cam Schlittler's name should be right at the top of that list.

The youngster came up late in the 2025 campaign and wowed in the postseason, but that was just the start of what can be a special career.

This time around, the Yanks will get Schlittler at the MLB level for the whole year.

This spring, Schlittler has gotten the chance to stake his claim to a big role. And with a 0.93 ERA, he has made clear he's ready for his rotation spot.

He's also throwing as hard as ever.

"The Yankees could have a loaded rotation this season, and it's not just because of veterans like Gerrit Cole returning," MLB.com's David Adler wrote in a new article. "It's also because of youngsters like Schlittler, who looks ready to build on his electric 2025 rookie season and playoff performance. The 25-year-old has some big-time stuff. Schlittler is averaging over 98 mph on both his four-seamer and sinker this spring, and he's added some juice to his cutter, which is sitting at 94.7 mph. He's going to overpower hitters in 2026."

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As Adler writes, Cole will be back at some point soon after missing the entirety of last season, although it won't be for Opening Day.

The Yankees also traded for Ryan Weathers in the offseason, and multiple promising pitching prospects are close to the majors.

Schlittler can bring it all together, though. He showed in the playoffs how much of a difference maker he can be in a short series. 

Now, he'll get the chance to show what he can do over the course of an entire MLB season.

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