Ryan Garcia
We’ve had a bit of a lull in content during Spring Training, but the Yankees were under the lights at George M. Steinbrenner Field against the Rays for a fun contest.
It was our first look at Cam Schlittler since the end of the 2025 season as he twirled 2.1 strong innings in his 2026 Grapefruit League debut.
Showing off elite velocity and a noticably different cutter, he was certainly the talk of the town from that game, but there were some interesting young arms out of the bullpen who impressed as well.
We’re covering it all with some notes I’ve taken on any tweaks, improvements, or just impressive data points that stood out to me in this game.
READ: Yankees’ Carlos Lagrange receives ‘wild’ scouting report from Gerrit Cole
Cam Schlittler Showed Off Exciting Cutter In His Spring Training Debut
The Yankees got an important box checked off when Cam Schlittler walked off that mound in the top of the third inning, as they saw their young star pitcher rebound from the lat/back tightness he had been dealing with.
His fastballs had elite velocity that was in-line with what we saw last season, but the star of the show was his cutter which looked disgusting.
Schlittler is throwing a firm cutter with good ride in the mid-90s, and while this isn’t a new pitch, his feel for it was improved and we could be looking at a truly elite offering.
When measuring the vertical movement, lateral movement, and velocity, this cutter compares to the one thrown by Corbin Burnes during his Cy Young winning 2021 campaign.
There’s other variables that go into whether a pitch will succeed or not, but the pure upside of Cam Schlittler’s firm cutter is tantalizing.
It gives him a true triforce mix with the four-seamer, sinker, and cutter that can be deployed in any count to get in-zone or even put a batter away.
There were changes made to that sinker as well, he generated three more inches of drop which should help it differentiate from his four-seamer a little more.
I’d like to see something resembling a slider or sweeper to have a pitch that Cam Schlittler can spin away from righties, but the mix we saw last night would certainly play at a high level.
The Yankees Might Have a Late-Inning Relief Arm in Brent Headrick
I’ve been thoroughly impressed by Brent Headrick this Spring Training, his stuff is excellent and that dominant fastball has consistently sat around 95 MPH with 19 inches of ride.
With the extension he gets due to his long limbs, Headrick’s fastball can overpower lefties or righties with relative ease, and I think he’s forced the Yankees’ hand a bit.
They don’t have MiLB options on Cade Winquest who has struggled in Spring Training, but if you want to carry your best 26 guys then you’ll have to seriously consider making some uncomfortable decisions.
Questions about the Yankees’ bullpen are more than fair, but this group could end up being really good if guys like Brent Headrick can pitch up to their potential.
He struck out over 30% of batters faced in his brief taste of MLB action for the Yankees last season, there’s a real chance the Yankees get the breakout in 2026.
Aaron Boone has not stopped raving about Brent Headrick during Spring Training and that’s definitely an important figure in the organization to have in your corner.
Zach Messinger Made Himself a Name To Keep Tabs On
Zach Messinger has struggled to stick as a starter in the upper levels of the Minor Leagues, but his stuff looked filthy in relief against the Rays.
The right-hander showed off a deep mix against the Rays, throwing five different pitches which ranged from average to above-average in my opinion.
His ability to move the ball around the zone and cover so many areas on a pitch plot are enticing, and the velocity on his fastballs was elevated from previous seasons.
There’s a chance that Zach Messinger is able to pitch in the big leagues as a reliever despite multiple years of being left unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft.
His velocity, feel for spin, and deep mix would work well out of the bullpen, but the question becomes whether he can throw enough strikes to put it all together.
Messinger had an 11.8% walk rate last season between Double-A and Triple-A while having a 4.90 FIP, entering his age-26 season as a full-time reliever could be the mid-career change he needs to don the Yankee pinstripes this season.
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