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TAMPA — It is still the time of spring training when pitchers are generally ahead of hitters.
But what Cam Schlittler did on Tuesday against some of the Yankees’ best hitters only continued to open eyes within the organization, on top of what he already accomplished last year.
The 24-year-old right-hander, in his first taste of big league camp, struck out Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe and DJ LeMahieu during a live batting practice session at Steinbrenner Field.
And though he did not get Aaron Judge to whiff, the Yankees captain did make a point of finding Schlittler in the dugout when it was done and telling him he had good stuff.
“They’re great players, so it’s good to see where I’m at with my stuff and how it plays to some of those better guys,” Schlittler said afterward.
Schlittler is not in camp to win a job in the rotation this year, but after finishing last season at Double-A, he is beginning to emerge as one of the top arms in the next layer of starting pitching depth in the minor leagues.
The Yankees’ seventh-round pick in 2022 out of Northeastern University — signed by Northeast area scout Matt Hyde, who is also responsible for signing Anthony Volpe and Ben Rice — Schlittler saw his stock rise after a breakout season in 2024, which he split between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset (with one spot start at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre).
He posted a 3.36 ERA and struck out 154 — the most of any Yankees minor leaguer — across 120 ²/₃ innings.
“It’s really been over the last two years now, a huge maturation process for Cam,” director of pitching Sam Briend said Wednesday. “Just understanding who he is, what he needs to do every day, refining his routine and then he’s made some huge delivery adjustments.”
The Yankees were excited about Schlittler when they drafted him because he was “explosive and athletic” with a 6-foot-6 frame, Briend said.
But he was only around 200 pounds and had some difficulty controlling his body down the mound.
So the Yankees got him in the weight room, had him add some muscle and then refined his delivery before Schlittler “just kind of ran with it.”
Briend said the adjustments have Schlittler’s fastball up four miles per hour from when they drafted him, now sitting 94-95 mph and touching 97-98.
He also added a splitter to his repertoire this offseason (to replace a changeup that was a little too hard and didn’t slow hitters down enough), with his arsenal rounded out by a curveball, slider and a tighter gyro slider.
“He’s got a lot of big league stuff already and he’s just got to continue to grow,” said Rafael Flores, who caught Schlittler for much of last season. “He’s going to be really, really good.”
Getting invited to big league camp this spring is just the latest step in Schlittler’s development.
He went through some important ones last season in jumping from High-A to Double-A, where he could no longer just get by with stuff alone.
“I think game-planning is a big part of baseball,” Schlittler said. “I didn’t really have to do that much in High-A. Once I got to Double-A, hitters are obviously a lot better. So I took a lot more time and commitment to the game-planning side of it. But also learning how to pitch — not just throwing the ball where you want. Playing off stuff, playing off your misses and tunneling I think was a big part, and reading the at-bat in the game, which is definitely tough to do. I’m still working on it now, but definitely got a feel for it last year and hopefully I can take that into this year.”
Schlittler hopes to take some bits of wisdom from big league pitchers with him, too.
He watched Gerrit Cole’s bullpen session on Tuesday before the 2023 Cy Young winner threw his own live batting practice, and Schlittler wants to find some time to pick his brain.
“He’s a great guy and he’s pretty open with trying to help us get better,” Schlittler said. “It’s always good to have conversations with those guys who have been there for a few years and learn what I can for the time I’m here.”
