YORKO, NEWCam Schlittler is the New York Yankees’ hardest-throwing player one game into his major league career.
On Wednesday night, Schlittler had an eye-opening debut by shutting down Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners with his 100 mph fastball, leading the Yankees to a 9–6 triumph in front of a packed house of friends and family.
“Obviously, that’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” Schlittler added. As yet, I don’t believe I’ve fully absorbed it.
The 6-foot-6 Schlittler, one of the team’s best prospects, earned the victory by striking out seven batters in 5 1/3 innings. His average fastball velocity of 97.9 mph was the best for a Yankees starter this season, and he fired seven of New York’s quickest pitches.
However, manager Aaron Boone was particularly impressed by his poise and better secondary pitches.
Boone remarked, “You see his stuff really plays.” I think there’s a lot of promise.
Schlittler will likely earn another big league start following the All-Star break, according to Boone, who praised it as a fantastic first step.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., a Yankees teammate who hit two home runs and drove in four runs, said he was ill.
Schlittler was called up from Triple-A to fill in for injured pitcher Clarke Schmidt, who will likely miss the remainder of this season and a large portion of next year due to a second Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
Schlittler has a real chance to remain in the rotation for a Yankees team that is vying for the top spot in the AL East with Toronto.
Of course, I’m just attempting to finish the first one before anything else occurs. “I’m just lucky they gave me that chance,” Schlittler remarked. Simply take each day as it comes and observe the results.
Schlittler gave up three runs and four hits, including solo home runs by Jorge Polanco and J.P. Crawford, while stumbling to an early 3-0 lead.
With a 100 mph heater for his first strikeout in the first inning, the 24-year-old right-hander froze Raleigh, the big league home run leader, after walking his first batter.
Yankees outfielder Jasson Domnguez described him as “negligent.”
After the game, Schlittler had two baseballs in his locker, both of which were encased and engraved above the Yankees’ championship belt for the evening.
Schlittler said he intended to present the strikeout ball to his parents initially, but it will most likely land up in his room back home eventually.
He added, “I’m sure they’ll treasure that.”
As his parents embraced in the Yankee Stadium fans, Schlittler, who walked two, finished his stint with another strikeout of Raleigh before departing with a 6-2 lead in the sixth to a standing ovation.
Despite being born in Massachusetts, Schlittler claimed that he had always desired to play for the Yankees. In the midst of rival Red Sox country, Northeastern in Boston is where they took him in the seventh round of the 2022 amateur draft.
The pitcher reported that he had left 23 tickets for his fans and that his cousin and girlfriend were present in addition to many of his pals. When it came time for the game, he claimed he wasn’t particularly anxious.
“To be honest, I think I had more jitters this morning,” Schlittler added. I’m aware that when I throw, my dad generally gets more anxious than I do.
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Link: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb AP MLB
