BY: @OOSSports
Saturday, June 20th, 2026
Cam Schlittler delivered the kind of start that makes a city stop and notice.
The New York Yankees right-hander overwhelmed the Cincinnati Reds in a 5-0 win, striking out 13 across six shutout innings. It marked the best regular-season start of his young career and offered another sign that the Yankees may have a legitimate rotation weapon emerging in the Bronx.
The performance also caught the attention of a freshly crowned New York Knicks NBA Finals champion.
Knicks guard Josh Hart took to official X, formerly Twitter, where he shared some high praise for the righty.
“Schlitty is the Cy Young winner hands down.”
The reaction matters more because the “Hart” of the Knicks has tied himself to the moment for the city. He and Jalen Brunson threw out ceremonial first pitches at Yankee Stadium earlier in the week, bringing even more crossover energy between the city’s championship basketball team and its perennial AL contender.
Schlittler appreciated the support.
“That’s a good thing to hear,” Schlittler said postgame, per The Associated Press’ Larry Fleisher. “Josh is a great guy. I talked to him after the first playoff game. I’m pumped for him and the city of New York just being able to finish that off, and it’s great to have his support.”
The numbers matched the attention.
Schlittler leaned on premium velocity and command, using his four-seam fastball, cutter, and sinker to overwhelm Cincinnati. His four-seamer averaged 97.9 mph, and he generated strikeouts with all three fastball variations. He also threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of 23 hitters, giving the Reds very little room to settle in.
The start marked a new regular-season career high in strikeouts for Schlittler, who had previously topped out at nine. It also brought back memories of his breakout postseason moment against the Boston Red Sox, when he struck out 12 over eight innings in the deciding game of last year’s AL Wild Card Series.
At 25 years and 134 days old, Schlittler became the youngest Yankees pitcher to record 13 strikeouts in a game since Al Downing reached that mark in 1964. That kind of company does not automatically make him a Cy Young favorite, but it does show how quickly his ceiling has changed.
The Yankees also gave him early support. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ben Rice homered in the second inning, giving Schlittler enough cushion to attack the zone. From there, New York’s bullpen protected the shutout and finished off one of the team’s sharper all-around wins of the season.
For the Yankees, the bigger takeaway goes beyond one night. Schlittler is not just flashing anymore. He is missing bats, limiting damage, and showing the kind of mound presence that plays in October.
Hart’s Cy Young statement may have had New York flair, but Schlittler’s start made it feel a little less outrageous.
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