Andres Chavez
The baseball world loves a good underdog story, especially when it involves a player leapfrogging through the minor leagues like they’re playing a video game on rookie mode. Last year, the New York Yankees found exactly that in Cam Schlittler.
Schlittler took the world by storm last year when he gradually developed more velocity and reached the big leagues after starting in Double-A. It wasn’t just a lucky streak either; it was a systematic dismantling of hitters across three different levels of professional baseball.
The numbers tell a story of a kid who simply refused to be intimidated by the stage. He posted a 2.38 ERA in Double-A, maintained a solid 3.80 mark in Triple-A, and then truly found his footing under the bright lights of the Bronx. In 73 major league innings, he checked in with a 2.96 ERA and punched out 84 batters. For the Yankees organization, 2025 was a best-case scenario, and for the tall right-hander, it was the kind of dream you usually only see in sports movies.
Shades of the Ace
Whenever a young pitcher shows this much poise, the New York media starts looking for a comparison. Recently, a video from The New York Post called Schlittler ‘a young Gerrit Cole’, and if you squint just a little bit, it’s easy to see the resemblance.
It isn’t just about the physical stature, though both are imposing figures on the mound. It’s the shared obsession with the craft—the relentless quest to improve velocity and sharpen the movement on their breaking balls. They both possess that rare combination of high-end stuff and the command to put it exactly where they want it.
Beyond the metrics, there is a certain “bulldog” mentality that connects them. Watching Schlittler work is like watching a master craftsman who refuses to leave a job until every nail is flush. He attacks hitters with a confidence that belies his lack of service time.
We are not saying that Schlittler is as good as Cole was as a prospect because that’s not the case. Cole was a No. 1 overall pick for a reason. The comparison is strictly on style and demeanor, not in career achievements. It’s more about the DNA of their approach than a Hall of Fame projection.
The Triple-Threat Fastball
Both Yankees righties have a huge fastball with elite velocity and excellent movement profiles, and it’s a blessing to have both on the roster. In an era where many young arms just try to throw the ball through a brick wall, these two are artists.
They are both power pitchers who don’t just throw a straight heater, utilizing three variations (four-seam, sinker, and cutter) of the fastball. It’s like a pitcher having three different gears on a car; they can blow it past you, make it dive under your bat, or saw you off inside.
Schlittler actually enjoyed better results than Cole did in his rookie season. The 2023 AL Cy Young had a 3.22 ERA in 19 starts back in 2013, and Schlittler had a 2.96 mark in 14 outings in 2025.
It’s still ridiculously early to tell, but the Yankees would be thrilled if Schlittler follows a similar career path as Cole. They are the foundation of the Yanks’ pitching staff for the 2026 campaign. One represents the bright future, while the other is the accomplished veteran looking to keep showing he can still dominate.
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