Alexander Wilson
The New York Yankees don’t have Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodon back yet. They’ve been without both for the start of the season. And they still have two of the most dominant starting pitchers in the American League going every five days. When the full rotation is healthy, this staff is going to be something else entirely. Right now, Max Fried and Cam Schlittler are already making it look unfair.
On Monday against the Texas Rangers, Fried threw six scoreless innings, struck out five, and lowered his ERA to 2.09 on the season. His contact profile this year shows a pitcher operating differently than he has in previous years. The strikeout rate is down to 7.04 per nine, the lowest of his career, and his ground ball rate has dropped as well, which raises a mild concern about sustainability.
But his xERA sits at 2.30, meaning the underlying quality of his starts validates everything the actual results are showing. He’s limiting hard contact, barely walking anyone, and keeping the ball in the park at a historic rate for his career. The margin between his ERA and his xERA is slim enough that you can trust both numbers.
What Schlittler Is Becoming
If Fried is the ace by experience and track record, Schlittler is becoming the ace by performance. His numbers through 35.2 innings this season are absurd. A 1.77 ERA. A 10.35 strikeout rate per nine. A 69.1% left-on-base rate. A 49.4% ground ball rate. He’s walking 1.01 batters per nine and allowing 0.25 home runs per nine. He ranks in the 99th percentile in chase rate and the 98th percentile in walk rate.
I’ll say this plainly: Cam Schlittler is pitching like one of the five best starters in baseball right now, and he’s 25 years old, under team control through 2032. The Yankees have him for five more seasons at a price tag that will look increasingly ridiculous as he continues to develop. For an organization that has historically spent enormous money chasing front-line pitching on the open market, having this caliber of arm locked up on a team-friendly deal is the kind of organizational win that changes long-term trajectories.
What makes Schlittler particularly difficult to face is that the production isn’t built on one pitch or one skill. His chase rate numbers suggest hitters are consistently tricked into swinging at pitches outside the zone. His walk rate suggests near-perfect command of where the ball is going. His ground ball rate suggests he’s generating weak contact when hitters do make contact. Everything works together, and the combination makes him resistant to hot stretches from opposing lineups in a way that one-dimensional pitchers never are.
What Happens When It Gets Better
Cole is close. Rodon is not far behind. When those two return, the Yankees will have Fried, Cole, Rodon, Schlittler, and Warren available in a rotation. That’s a staff that would legitimately compete for the best in baseball in any era. Opponents will have to navigate four legitimate quality starters before they even get to a fifth option who has a 2.49 ERA.
The Yankees have put themselves in this position by developing Schlittler internally and by signing Fried to the right deal at the right time. Getting Cole back healthy adds the final piece to what is already an elite unit. The rotation is the reason this team is a championship contender, and it’s only getting better.
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