The New York Yankees are expected to call up right-handed prospect Cam Schlittler for a potential MLB debut this week, but this may be more than a short-term patch job. According to The New York Post, the Yankees are preparing to promote the 24-year-old for a start against the Marinersâlikely Tuesday or Wednesdayâas the club scrambles to adjust after losing Clarke Schmidt to a season-ending elbow injury.
Schlittlerâs name may not be familiar to casual fans, but to those tracking the Yankeesâ long-term pitching depth, this call-up results from necessity and readiness. And depending on how he performs, the 6-foot-6 righty could play a bigger role than anyone anticipated entering 2025.
A Rotation Held Together With Tape
The Yankeesâ rotation wasnât exactly on solid ground to begin with. Gerrit Coleâs Tommy John surgery in March left a gaping hole. Luis Gil has yet to pitch due to a lat strain. Ryan Yarbrough is out until August. With Schmidt headed for Tommy John, the Yankees stare at a depleted staff.
New York has leaned heavily on Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Will Warren, and now Marcus Stromanâall of whom have stayed healthy. But with no obvious fifth starter available and Allan Winans ineligible for recall without an injury designation, the teamâs options narrowed fast.
Enter Schlittler.
Prospect with Upsideâand Urgency
A seventh-round pick in 2022, Schlittler has climbed quickly. He posted a 3.52 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A this season, including a 2.38 mark over 53 innings in Somerset. Heâs also struck out nearly a third of the batters heâs faced this year (31.9% K rate), while inducing ground balls at a solid 47.8% clip.
But itâs not just the numbers that drew attention. Schlittler opened eyes in spring training, with manager Aaron Boone calling him âexcitingâ and âreally impressive.â Scouts have noted that his fastball, which hovers in the mid-90s and can touch 98 mph, comes with over 15 inches of vertical breakâa trait that gives it serious swing-and-miss potential.
His developing sweeper and refined slider give him a full arsenal. Baseball America ranks him fifth among Yankees prospects. MLB Pipeline has him tenth. Either way, heâs now near the top of the organizational pecking orderâand this opportunity could become his job to lose.
Not Just a Fill-In
With the Yankees clinging to postseason hopes and the trade deadline still weeks away, Schlittler might be more than a plug-in for one start. If he handles Seattleâs lineup with poise, the team may prefer to keep him in the rotation, especially with no firm return dates for Gil or Yarbrough.
Yes, the timing isnât idealâheâs coming off his worst Triple-A outing of the year, allowing six earned runs in just over two innings. But scouts who watched that game insisted the stuff looked good and the command wasnât as far off as the numbers suggest.
The Bigger Picture
When the season started, Cam Schlittler may not have been Plan A, B, or C. But here he isâstanding at the edge of his big league debut, with a rotation opening and a franchise needing fresh arms. Whether he sticks or not, this is the kind of debut that could turn into a breakout.
The Yankees arenât just calling him up because they have no one else. Theyâre calling him up because he might be ready. And for a team hanging on the edge of contention, that might be the most essential call-up.
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