NEW YORK — The Yankees spent Saturday getting buried. The Twins hit six home runs in an 11-4 rout at Yankee Stadium, an eighth loss in nine games that had the Bronx booing by the middle innings.
One Yankee had nothing to do with the mess. Cam Schlittler was not pitching, and hours after the final out, his name carried the only unqualified good news of the Yankees’ night.
The second-year right-hander was named to his first All-Star team, one of four Yankees headed to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 14.
For a 25-year-old who was pitching in the minors a year ago, the selection alone would be a story. The company it puts him in makes it a bigger one.
The numbers behind the nod
The case for him was statistical and overwhelming. Among American League starters, Schlittler ranks first in ERA at 2.08, second in FIP at 2.69, tied for second with 123 strikeouts, third with 10.64 strikeouts per nine innings and fourth with 1.82 walks per nine.
The rate of dominance is nearly unmatched in franchise history. His 1.62 ERA through his first 17 starts this season was the second best by any Yankees pitcher since earned runs became an official statistic in 1913, trailing only Ray Caldwell’s mark in 1914.
That production has been the one constant during a rough stretch. While the club has lost eight of nine and watched its rotation thin out with injuries to Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Max Fried, Schlittler has kept turning in quality starts. Each strong outing has looked more valuable against the backdrop of a staff running short on healthy, reliable options.
The résumé is strong enough that he could start the All-Star Game for the American League. Asked about the possibility, Schlittler pushed the spotlight back toward the Yankees.
“We’ll see. The team comes first. They are a priority,” Schlittler said. “If it lines up, it lines up. If it doesn’t, that’s fine as well.”
| Category | 2026 mark | AL rank among starters |
| ERA | 2.08 | 1st |
| FIP | 2.69 | 2nd |
| Strikeouts | 123 | T-2nd |
| Strikeouts per 9 | 10.64 | 3rd |
| Walks per 9 | 1.82 | 4th |
Cam Schlittler’s 2026 rankings among American League starting pitchers.
Schlittler became just the eighth pitcher in Yankees history to earn an All-Star selection within his first two major league seasons. The list that stretches back more than 80 years and includes some of the most recognizable arms the franchise has produced. He was the first Yankees pitcher since Andy Pettitte’s 1996 to get All-Star nod in the second year and also first since , Masahiro Tanaka’s 2014 to get it withing first two seasons in pinstripes
An 80-year list with eight names
The group is small and specific. The only Yankees pitchers to make an All-Star team in their first or second big league season are Joe Page in 1944, Spec Shea in 1947, Johnny Kucks in 1956, Jim Bouton in 1963, Mel Stottlemyre in 1965, Andy Pettitte in 1996, Masahiro Tanaka in 2014 and now Schlittler in 2026.
Page, Shea and Tanaka earned the honor as rookies. The rest, Schlittler included, reached it in their second season.
It is elite and slightly star-crossed company. Several names on the list burned bright early, and the history gives Schlittler’s rise both weight and a cautionary edge. For now, the 2026 club cares only that he has been its best starter by a wide margin, the one arm that has held steady while the rest of the rotation broke down around him.
The path here was fast. Schlittler was a seventh-round pick out of Northeastern who opened last season in the minors and did not profile as a future ace. Eighteen months later, he is arguably the Yankees’ most valuable pitcher.
A Massachusetts kid heading home to the Northeast
The selection carries a personal layer. Schlittler grew up in the Boston area and reached the majors alongside Yankees teammate Ben Rice, a fellow first-time All-Star from Cohasset, Massachusetts. Both were signed by the same Yankees Northeast area scout, Matt Hyde.
Schlittler made clear that sharing the moment with a hometown peer meant as much as the honor itself.
“It’s special. [Both of us] being from Massachusetts, that’s a great feeling. Being able to share that connection with him,” Schlittler said. “[Rice has] had a great season so far and he deserves it.”
The two will represent the Yankees together in a season that has leaned heavily on unexpected names. With Aaron Judge sidelined and unable to play despite his fan-elected start, the story of the Yankees’ first half now runs as much through Schlittler as through anyone in the lineup.
Whether Schlittler starts in Philadelphia or not, the milestone is already his.
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