NEW YORK — Cam Schlittler walked out of Yankee Stadium on Sunday with another win, the major league ERA lead and a growing case that his season has moved beyond a Cy Young conversation.
The Yankees right-hander allowed one hit across six scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory over the Mets, striking out eight and walking two before a 111.5 mph comebacker from Bo Bichette struck the back of his right hamstring on his final pitch. Ben Rice and Austin Wells supplied solo home runs. Christian Scott (4-5) took the loss, and David Bednar earned his 34th save after two scoreless setup innings.
For the Yankees, the result cut their postseason-clinching magic number to one and improved them to 86-63, four games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East. For Schlittler, it pushed an already unusual season deeper into award territory. He improved to 14-6, lowered his ERA to 1.95 and reached 228 strikeouts in 184 2/3 innings.
That has started a different argument inside the Yankees clubhouse. Aaron Boone has pushed Schlittler into the AL MVP discussion. Cody Bellinger played with Clayton Kershaw when the Dodgers ace won both the NL MVP and Cy Young in 2014. Austin Wells has called Schlittler the Yankees’ most valuable player.
One start from a 62-year pitching mark
One more start allowing no more than one run would tie Chance’s 1964 total of 22, the most by a pitcher age 25 or younger across the last 110 years. Two more would put Schlittler alone atop that list.
His ERA also puts him near rare Yankees territory. Ron Guidry finished at 1.74 in 1978, when he won the Cy Young and finished second in MVP voting. Spud Chandler posted a 1.64 ERA in 1943, while Ray Caldwell finished at 1.94 in 1914. Schlittler would join that short list if he maintains a sub-2.00 mark through the end of the season.
Bellinger has seen a pitcher turn this kind of season into an MVP before.
“It’s been done before,” Bellinger said.
Wells went further when discussing what Schlittler has meant specifically to the Yankees.
“I’m not a voter, but I don’t see why [Schlittler] couldn’t make a case for it,” Wells said. “I think he should definitely get votes, so why not give it to him? He’s been the MVP of our team, for sure.”
Judge draws a line between MVP and Cy Young
Then Aaron Judge, a three-time MVP and the most authoritative Yankees voice on the award, offered a different standard.
Judge praised Schlittler’s season but pointed to the award created specifically for pitching excellence.
“He’s definitely pitching like an MVP,” Judge said. “But they got a Cy Young Award for a reason: best pitcher in the game. So he’s got my vote, definitely, for the Cy Young.”
It was less a rejection than a reality check. Judge acknowledged that Schlittler is performing at an MVP level. He simply separated that level of performance from how he believes the hardware should be awarded.
Boone has taken the broader view. After another dominant start, the Yankees manager made clear that he believes Schlittler belongs in both conversations.
“He might be the MVP, too,” Boone said. “These are the kinds of seasons where pitchers get in that mix for MVP, too.”
History leaves room for Boone’s argument. Twenty-five pitchers have won an MVP award, and 11 have won MVP and Cy Young honors in the same season. Kershaw was the most recent pitcher to win MVP in 2014. Justin Verlander, in 2011, remains the most recent American League pitcher to do it.
The numbers keep Judge’s distinction from settling the debate
Schlittler’s value goes beyond ERA.
His 6.0 fWAR ranks second in the American League behind Bobby Witt Jr.’s 6.5 and ahead of Yordan Alvarez’s 5.8. His 6.7 bWAR also places him among the league leaders. The Yankees’ best Cy Young candidate is producing value comparable to the league’s top position players.
Schlittler has made 31 starts and allowed one run or fewer in 21 of them. That is 67.7% of his starts. Among pitchers age 25 or younger over the last 110 years, only Dean Chance had more such starts in one season, with 22 in 1964. Blake Snell in 2018 and Babe Ruth in 1916 also had 21.
He has also struck out 228 while walking 44, a 5.18 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The volume matters because Schlittler is not building his case on a shortened workload.
The Yankees have needed that reliability. Injuries have disrupted the rotation, while Schlittler has kept taking the ball and suppressing runs. Sunday was his eighth scoreless start of 2026 and his sixth consecutive outing allowing one run or fewer.
Schlittler keeps the trophies secondary
Schlittler has shown little appetite for choosing between awards. His focus has remained on the Yankees’ postseason position.
When the MVP talk reached him Sunday, he treated it as praise rather than a campaign.
“I don’t know anything about that,” Schlittler said. “It’s a great compliment.”
The Yankees also have a more immediate concern. Schlittler said he expects to make his next start after the Bichette comebacker struck his hamstring, but the club will watch how he responds over the next several days.
Judge’s reminder may ultimately reflect how many voters view pitchers. Boone’s stance reflects another reality: when a starter is among the league leaders in WAR, owns a 1.95 ERA and delivers one-run-or-fewer starts nearly seven times out of 10, the MVP conversation becomes difficult to shut down.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
