Yankees pitching coach says quiet part out loud about Cam Schlittler’s Cy Young season

New York Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake has publicly acknowledged Cam Schlittler's exceptional season, which led to the right-hander's unanimous American League Cy Young Award win. In a recent interview on MLB Network Radio, Blake emphasized the importance of an aggressive approach in the strike zone, a philosophy he believes Schlittler embodies.

The 25-year-old Schlittler had an outstanding first full major league season, posting an American League-leading 1.95 ERA and striking out 239 batters across 33 starts. His 14-6 record and 49 walks over 193 2/3 innings showcased his ability to combine strikeout ability with limited free passes.

Blake highlighted that Schlittler's talent allows him to "live in the strike zone with his stuff," a crucial aspect of the Yankees' pitching strategy. Among the franchise's qualifying starters, only Spud Chandler's 1.64 ERA in 1943 and Ron Guidry's 1.74 in 1978 have a lower ERA.

Schlittler's unanimous selection capped an impressive season that has established him as one of MLB's premier pitchers. The Massachusetts native was drafted by the Yankees in the seventh round of the 2022 draft out of Northeastern. Since then, he has become the first unanimous Cy Young winner in the team's history, joining Guidry and Gerrit Cole as the franchise's recipients.