TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees have a pitcher who can blow away hitters with a fastball that touches 96 mph. He threw eight shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox in a do-or-die playoff game last October. He owns two wins and 10 strikeouts through his first two spring training starts of 2026. And yet, on Sunday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Cam Schlittler needed backup from an unlikely source.
It was not the bullpen. It was not a pinch hitter. It was Yankees security.
The reason? A spider had taken up residence inside his locker.
A clubhouse commotion before first pitch
As the Yankees prepared for their Grapefruit League game against the Detroit Tigers, the scene inside the clubhouse took a turn that had nothing to do with lineup cards or pitching matchups. YES Network clubhouse reporter Meredith Marakovits broke the news, and Yankees insider Bryan Hoch amplified it on social media.
An uninvited eight-legged guest had settled into Cam Schlittler’s locker space, and the 25-year-old right-hander was not about to handle it on his own. Instead, he put in a call to the Yankees security staff to extract the arachnid from his belongings.
In other Yankees news, @M_Marakovits reports Cam Schlittler needed Yankees security to extract a spider from his locker before today's game.
Florida is home to a wide variety of spiders, including orb weavers, green lynx spiders, wolf spiders and widow spiders, according to the University of Florida. Wolf spiders in particular can grow quite large and move fast. Nobody from the Yankees confirmed exactly what species had wandered into Schlittler’s locker, but most common Florida spiders pose little threat to humans.
That did not matter to Schlittler. He wanted it gone.
Schlittler owns the moment on social media
Rather than duck the story, Cam Schlittler leaned into it. Shortly after the news spread online, he took to his X account and confirmed the entire thing himself.
“A spider was successfully extracted from my locker today,” Schlittler wrote. “Best security team in the league!”
A spider was successfully extracted from my locker today. Best security team in the league! @ChatGPTapp thanks for this
The post went viral among Yankees fans and baseball followers, racking up thousands of likes and retweets within hours. Teammates and fans alike found the whole scene hilarious, and it quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of spring training so far.
Even for a clubhouse full of personalities, Schlittler’s spider encounter stood out. The pitcher who stared down David Ortiz’s spiritual descendants in the playoffs had met his match in the form of an arachnid hiding behind a pair of cleats.
Dominant on the mound despite early health scare
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The spider drama aside, Schlittler has been one of the most impressive arms in the Yankees camp this spring. Early in the offseason, there were concerns about back inflammation that delayed his throwing program. Those worries have faded fast.
In six innings of work across two spring starts, Schlittler has struck out 10 batters while allowing just one run and one walk. He carries a 1.50 ERA into his next outing and has shown the kind of command and aggression the Yankees need from their young starters.
“I’m just making good progress with the body and the arm,” Schlittler said recently, per MLB.com. “I’m able to go out there confidently. I’m feeling good.”
During the 2025 regular season, the Massachusetts native went 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA and 84 strikeouts across 14 starts after being called up in July. He worked 73 innings and showed poise well beyond his years.
His October performance was even more memorable for the Yankees faithful. In Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, Schlittler threw eight scoreless innings, striking out 12 and surrendering just five hits. It was one of the finest postseason pitching performances in recent Yankees history.
A key role in the 2026 Yankees rotation
Schlittler is projected to start the Yankees’ second game of the regular season, against the San Francisco Giants on March 27. He will slot in behind ace Max Fried as the No. 2 starter for at least the first couple of months.
Manager Aaron Boone raved about a new weapon in Schlittler’s arsenal. The right-hander’s cutter is now reaching about 96 mph, and it has drawn rave reviews from the coaching staff.
“It’s nasty, too,” Boone said of the cutter. “Just standing behind him, it’s kind of wicked. If he can get the consistency of that curveball, the three fastballs with the curveball, then he gets pretty tough to deal with.”
That development is significant for a Yankees rotation that is still waiting on reinforcements. Veteran Carlos Rodon is recovering from surgery and is not expected back until early May. Ace Gerrit Cole is also working his way back from an injury and will not be ready for Opening Day.
Until those arms return, the Yankees will lean heavily on Schlittler, Fried, and the rest of the staff. The Yankees reached the postseason in each of the last two years, making the World Series in 2024 before falling in the ALDS to the Toronto Blue Jays last fall. The front office expects another deep October run, and Schlittler is a big part of that Yankees plan.
For now, though, the clubhouse is having fun with the spider story. Schlittler may be fearless against major league hitters, but when it comes to creepy crawlers in his locker, the Yankees security team is the real MVP.
