TORONTO — Cam Schlittler walked into the biggest start of his young career with a little more than playoff pressure on his mind. The Yankees rookie right-hander, who grew up in Walpole, Massachusetts, said Boston fans “crossed a line” when they targeted his family on social media ahead of Thursday’s Wild Card Series finale.
That ugly backdrop gave his eight shutout innings an even sharper edge. The Red Sox’ season ended in silence at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees advanced with a 4-0 win. For Schlittler, the performance was personal.
A hometown kid turns villain
Growing up in Walpole, Massachusetts, just 30 miles southwest of Fenway Park, Schlittler never imagined he would become public enemy number one among the fanbase he grew up around. The 24-year-old pitcher attended Northeastern University in Boston before being drafted by the Yankees.
His path from Red Sox territory to pinstripes already made him a target. But what happened in the hours leading up to Thursday’s elimination game went far beyond typical sports rivalry.
“I wasn’t really expecting it to go that far,” Schlittler told reporters Friday at Rogers Centre before the Yankees’ workout for the AL Division Series.
Red Sox fans on social media targeted members of Schlittler’s family, particularly his mother. At least one screenshot circulated online showing a Red Sox fan account mocking her before she switched her profile from public to private to escape the harassment.
Family dragged into online firestorm
Schlittler said friends and others sent him links and screenshots of the attacks against his family members. While he typically avoids his phone before games, some content was impossible to ignore.
“Some of the bigger accounts they got over there, I was able to see, unfortunately,” he said. “I don’t really check my phone much before the game, but there was some stuff that was brought to my attention.”
The young pitcher declined to detail exactly what was said, but he made clear where he drew the line.
“I’m not gonna get into it, but there’s a line and I think they crossed it a little bit,” Schlittler said Thursday after the game. “You know Boston fans, that’s just how it is. We’re aggressive back home and we’re gonna try to get under people’s skin. They just picked the wrong guy to do it to and the wrong team to do it to.”
Fuel for the fire in Schlittler
Rather than letting the harassment distract him, Schlittler channeled his anger into focus. The social media attacks gave him extra motivation heading into the biggest start of his young career.
“100 percent” it helped him on the mound, Schlittler said Friday.
“I was locked in when I woke up (Thursday),” he said. “Again, it was going to be a big day. As I told Andy (Pettitte) the day before, I wasn’t going to let them beat me. I think that kind of lit the fire a little bit. I was able to go out there a little bit more locked in than I usually am.”
The results spoke for themselves. Schlittler was untouchable, slaying Red Sox batters with surgical precision. He did not walk a single hitter. His 12 strikeouts tied a franchise record for a postseason elimination game.
“But at the end of the day,” Schlittler said, “there’s not much they can say now.”
Turning the tables
After silencing the Red Sox on the field, Schlittler took his victory lap on social media. Hours after the final out, he posted “Drinking dat dirty water” on his account, a reference to the Standells song “Dirty Water” that plays at Fenway Park after Red Sox wins.
He also replied to a Red Sox fan who had predicted Boston would win Game 3, writing simply: “Not this year.”
The trolling was intentional. Schlittler wanted Red Sox Nation to feel the sting of defeat as personally as he felt the attacks on his family.
“Don’t need to give them the attention they’re looking for, but just channel it and made sure I took it in the right way,” he said.
Hometown ties cut deep
The sting was sharper because of where Schlittler is from. Walpole is about 30 kilometers south of Boston. He pitched at Northeastern University. Most of his friends and family grew up cheering for the Red Sox.
That made him an easy target for Boston fans once he signed with the Yankees. Some online critics questioned whether he had really turned his family into Yankees fans. Others accused him of turning his back on his hometown.
“But I told them that’s exactly what’s going to happen,” he said. “They’ll get over it. Hockey season is coming up. Basketball season is coming up. I’m sure they’ve got other things to distract them.”
Schlittler admitted his friends were happy for his success but still disappointed to see him end Boston’s year.
Making it personal on social media
If shutting down the Red Sox wasn’t enough, Schlittler rubbed it in after the game. On X, he posted “Drinking dat dirty water,” a jab at Boston’s victory anthem. Hours later, he replied to a fan who had predicted “Sox in 3” with a cold response: “Not this year.”
The trolling lit up social media. Red Sox fans bristled at a local kid celebrating their elimination in pinstripes. Yankees fans, meanwhile, embraced him as an instant October hero.
“I wasn’t really expecting it to go that far,” Schlittler told reporters. “I don’t really check my phone much before the game, but there was some stuff that was brought to my attention. Don’t need to give them the attention they’re looking for, but just channel it and made sure I took it in the right way.”
Bronx celebration, Boston outrage
Inside Yankee Stadium, his performance turned the Wild Card decider into a coronation. Fans gave him a standing ovation when he walked off the mound in the eighth inning. Teammates swarmed him in the dugout. Hours later, he was drenched in champagne as the Yankees partied in the clubhouse.
In Boston, the mood was far different. Influencers and fans fumed at his taunts. DraftKings personality Lucy Burdge, a vocal Red Sox supporter, went so far as to call Schlittler her “enemy number one” on her podcast the next day. She promised to keep tweets ready for any slip-up the rookie might make going forward.
The social media feud only intensified the storyline. A hometown pitcher once tied to Boston had not only knocked out the Red Sox but also mocked their fans on his way to stardom in New York.
From unknown to October star
Schlittler was a midseason call-up in July after a strong run in the minors. He finished the regular season with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts, with the Yankees winning 10 of his 15 outings. The postseason spotlight did not faze him. If anything, it sharpened his edge.
“I had an opportunity to pitch to a good lineup and end their season and get bragging rights over everyone I know back home,” Schlittler said.
In one night, he transformed from promising rookie into a playoff star. He embarrassed Boston’s lineup, silenced their fans, and fueled a new rivalry that stretches beyond the field.
For Schlittler, the attacks on his family might have crossed a line. For the Yankees, they may have just created their newest October weapon.
What do you think?
