In Cam Schlittler's final appearance in the 2026 season , he struggled to go deep against the Rays. The Yankees' ace was yanked in the fifth, and while part of it was due to shoddy defense in the first inning, which kept him out there longer than he needed to be, it wasn't the workhorse production the Yankees had grown accustomed to all year.
The night wasn't bad for Schlittler, but it wasn't great either-his fault or not.
Still, Schlittler's season won't be defined by that start. If he stays healthy, he'll have other games to come up big, and if there's a reason for general optimism for the Yankees, it's this. In the 25-year-old ace's first full season in the Bronx, he pitched to a 1.95 ERA in 193.2 IP and posted a 6.2 WAR, according to FanGraphs.
When MLB Network holds its annual MVP Show, Schlittler may not take the award, but he deserves a seat at the table and has earned a spot in the final three. That's not a luxury many teams get, especially for a player like Schlittler, a late-round draft pick who threw in the mid-to-low 90s.
Now he's a fireballer with pinpoint command, and if these Yankees ever do manage to win a World Series sometime soon, it will be due in part to Schlittler's dominance. How many pitchers are better suited to pitch in Games 1, 4, and 7 of a seven-game set than he is?
Who knows what the rest of Aaron Judge's career will look like after this injury-plagued season. He'll be 35 next year, and if the lockout ends up canceling the year, he'll be 36 the following season. In many ways, Schlittler and, of course, first baseman Ben Rice are a remedy for an unknown future.
Cam Schlittler is even more important for the Yankees as Aaron Judge faces an uncertain future. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
They're both cornerstone pieces and essentially keep that window open a little while longer. Not many teams can go from one generational athlete to guys like Rice and Schlittler, who combined for 10.4 WAR, eventually taking over for him.
This is why, when Schlittler is on the MLB Network set waiting for them to announce who'll win the American League MVP, Yankees fans should appreciate the meteoric rise he's had since he broke onto the scene in 2025. It's a sign that, for all the frustrations a fan may have with the organization after another dismal postseason showing and 17 straight seasons of coming up short, Schlittler offers hope.
Guys like Judge and Gerrit Cole will be another year older, but the reinforcements are there to carry them as both enter the twilight of their respective careers. Few teams can say they can watch their generational talents get older and have guys waiting in the wings ready to take over.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/yankees/onsi as What Cam Schlittler's Potential MVP Nod Means for the Yankees Future .
