Alexander Wilson
Cam Schlittler is not tiptoeing into Toronto.
He knows the building. He knows the noise. He knows the Blue Jays ended the Yankees‘ season last October, and he walked into Saturday with a quote that will travel fast if the game gets sideways.
“They’re easy to rage-bait, I think,” Schlittler told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com when asked why he believes Toronto fans do not like him.
The danger is obvious, but so is the appeal.
Yankees numbers give him room to talk
Schlittler enters with a 7-3 record, an American League-best 1.87 ERA, and a 0.87 WHIP across 14 starts. His rookie season has already moved beyond cute surprise territory, which is why this start feels bigger than a normal Saturday in June.
The Yankees lost eight of nine in Toronto last season, including the first two games of the ALDS. Friday’s 8-5 loss did nothing to calm that noise, especially with Ryan Weathers giving up more loud contact and Trent Grisham leaving with a hamstring issue.
Schlittler does not need to pitch like a mascot for revenge. He needs to pitch like the guy who has spent the first half turning every opponent’s scouting report into a bad afternoon.
The chip is obvious
What I like about the quote is that it does not sound fake. Schlittler has carried this edge all year, and Toronto gives him an easy place to aim it. There is history, there is crowd heat, and there is a real standings consequence in the division.
The line also puts pressure on him. You cannot call fans easy to bait, talk about how much you dislike the opponent, then come out nibbling. He has to attack the zone, especially against a Blue Jays team that can turn soft contact and mistakes into traffic fast.
The Yankees are missing Judge, likely missing Grisham, and still trying to keep this outfield patched together. A strong Schlittler start would do more than even a series. It would remind Toronto that last October is not the only version of this matchup.
If the kid wants the villain role up there, fine. He has the stuff and the season line to wear it. Now he has to make sure the crowd is the one taking the bait.
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