NEW YORK — The most talked-about rookie pitcher in baseball has gone quiet. But Cam Schlittler isn’t done making noise.
The New York Yankees right-hander stepped away from social media after weeks of viral moments. Now, in his first public comments since going dark, Schlittler explained why he hit pause. He also dropped a hint about what he’s cooking up for 2026.
A new pitch is coming. And so is the trash talk, eventually.
Why Schlittler went silent
Schlittler became a social media sensation this October. His eight-inning, 12-strikeout masterpiece against the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card clincher sparked a firestorm. Then came the viral video with Derek Jeter.
Shortly after the Yankees’ season ended, a fan caught Schlittler on camera while he signed autographs. Jeter sat in the passenger seat. When the fan shouted an expletive about Boston, he repeated it with a grin. The clip exploded online.
But the 24-year-old has since stepped back from X, formerly Twitter. He plans to stay off the platform until mid-February, right around the time pitchers and catchers report.
“If I’m going to talk, I’m gonna make sure I back it up, and that’s not something I can really do in the offseason,” Schlittler told the New York Daily News’ Gary Phillips. “Once the season comes back around and I’m able to back that stuff up, if I need to talk, then I’ll talk.”
Addressing the rivalry
Schlittler grew up in Walpole, Massachusetts, less than 20 miles from Fenway Park. He was a Red Sox fan as a kid. That changed when the Yankees drafted him in 2022. His family converted too.
Boston fans didn’t take kindly to that. Before the Wild Card matchup, some crossed a line. Schlittler’s mother had to make her social media accounts private after facing online harassment.
The pitcher addressed those tensions in his recent interview.
“I respect Boston. I know I’ve said certain things,” Schlittler told Phillips. “I think when I say that, it’s more directed at the people who were coming at my family and were all over me before that start, trying to cancel me, whatever it was. I’ve never said anything bad about that team or those players or other Boston sports teams. So for me, it really has nothing to do with the actual city.”
Back home for Halloween, Schlittler said Bostonians have been much kinder in person than online. Several Red Sox fans approached him during nights out. Nobody gave him trouble.
Adding a new weapon
Schlittler isn’t just laying low this winter. He’s working on expanding his pitch arsenal.
The right-hander has been training at Northeastern University, his alma mater, alongside two of his former college teammates. Yankees farmhand Thomas Balboni Jr. and Padres prospect Eric Yost have been his workout partners.
During his rookie season, Schlittler relied heavily on three pitches: a 98-mph four-seam fastball (55% usage), a cutter (21%), and a curveball (15%). He also threw a sinker and slider sparingly.
Now he wants to add a changeup or a splitter. Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake told the Daily News that the changeup is more likely. Schlittler struggled with wrist pronation while experimenting with a splitter last spring.
Splitters dominated the postseason this year. Schlittler watched closely and took notes. Adding an offspeed weapon would give hitters another look to worry about.
“Throwing began a few weeks ago,” Phillips reported, “and the Yankees star plans to incorporate a changeup or a splitter this winter.”
A breakout rookie season
Schlittler arrived in the Bronx out of necessity. The Yankees called him up on July 9 after Clarke Schmidt went down with a season-ending injury. Nobody expected what came next.
In 14 starts, the seventh-round pick posted a 2.96 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 73 innings. His fastball touched 100 mph, the hardest pitch thrown by any Yankees starter all season.
Then came October. In Game 3 of the Wild Card Series, Schlittler became the first pitcher in postseason history to throw eight scoreless innings with at least 12 strikeouts and zero walks. The Yankees won 4-0 and eliminated the Red Sox for the first time since 2003.
He threw 107 pitches that night. Seventy-three of them were 97 mph or harder. He generated 18 swinging strikes.
“It’s definitely a dream to play Boston in the playoffs and end their season,” Schlittler said after that game.
What’s next for the Yankees
The Yankees will need Schlittler more than ever in 2026. Their rotation is banged up.
Gerrit Cole continues recovering from Tommy John surgery and won’t be ready for Opening Day. Carlos Rodon had elbow surgery in October and faces a similar timeline. Clarke Schmidt is still rehabbing from his own Tommy John procedure.
That leaves Max Fried, Will Warren, Luis Gil, and Schlittler to anchor the rotation early in the season. Ryan Yarbrough could also factor into the mix.
Schlittler pitched well in the ALDS too. He took the loss in Game 4 against the Blue Jays, but he was arguably the Yankees’ best starter in that series. He allowed just two earned runs in six innings as New York’s season ended.
For now, the fiery right-hander is staying quiet. The tweets will wait. The work won’t.
Schlittler still qualifies for Rookie of the Year in 2026. If his offseason improvements stick, he might just win it.
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