Cam Schlittler Is Looking To Develop Changeup Or Splitter This Offseason
Yankees young star Cam Schlittler strongly finished his rookie season and is looking to add to his arsenal this offseason. Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reported that Schlittler is looking to develop a changeup or splitter this offseason. Adding this to his arsenal would make him more effective against left-handed batters, which is an area he struggled with last season.
Schlittler Will Add Changeup Or Splitter
Adding a changeup to his repertoire would be amazing for Schlittler. He does have a good arsenal to begin with, but doesn’t have many pitches he can use down in the strike zone, giving many teams opportunities to foul off pitches high in the zone. The only pitch that’s down and away is his curveball, which opposing hitters crushed last season. Batters his .293 off his curveball, which was his third-highest used pitch last season, throwing it 15% of the time, and 21% against left-handed hitters.
Schlittler’s high-velocity pitches were outstanding last season, allowing him to put hitters behind early in the count and really came to play in the Yankees’ Game 3 win in the Wild Card Round over the Boston Red Sox. In an elimination game, he threw eight scoreless innings, allowing just 5 hits and striking out 12 batters. The pressure didn’t get to him in any way, shape, or form, and he was in control the entire time, capping off an incredible comeback series for the New York Yankees.
I expect Pitching Coach Matt Blake to work his magic once again and elevate Schlittler’s game to the next level.
Where Does He Fit In the Rotation?
With many injuries depleting New York’s rotation, Schlittler is bound to be one of their top starters alongside Max Fried to begin the 2026 season. Gerrit Cole is targeting a return in late May/early June and is beginning his throwing program again. He threw 6-8 bullpens before deloading. Carlos Rodon is expected to return earlier than Cole, in late April or mid-May.
Things can change quickly with one trade, which Brian Cashman is expected to make this winter. The Yankees have been connected to two of the Marlins’ best pitchers in Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera. It seems more likely that New York will make a trade for a young, controllable starter rather than spend big on someone like Tatsuya Imai.
The free agent market isn’t highly coveted, and there is expected to be more action on the Trade Market. They’ve shown interest in MacKenzie Gore and Freddy Peralta, and they have the prospects to get a deal done for a high-end starting pitcher who is under control for multiple years and has a ton of room to develop and reach their full potential.
