The rise of Cam Schlittler has not just been one of the most thrilling Yankees stories to watch over the last year, but one of the best stories in all of baseball. Once a mid-rotation starter with modest fastball velocity in college, Schlittler has transformed into a monster, a fire-breathing dragon of a pitcher that mows you down with pure gas every fifth day. It’s still a bit shocking to say, given he was a relative unknown as recently as a year ago, but he’s on the short list of AL Cy Young contenders right now.
But there’s another Yankee pitcher that will make a case for the league’s highest pitching honor. Max Fried hasn’t gone through any kind of meteoric rise over the last year or two, instead steadily continuing to ply his trade as one of the best left-handed hurlers in the sport.
If you had to choose, which pitcher do you think is more likely to actually take home Cy Young hardware this year? Betting markets peg Schlittler as a narrow favorite, but he and Fried are neck-and-neck at the top, and they each look they have a real chance to end up in first.
Schlittler’s bona fides require little introduction. He has been, by most measures, the best pitcher in baseball in 2026, leading the league by distance in both fWAR and RA-9 WAR, unsurprising given he leads the majors in both FIP and ERA. There is no one who seems more likely on a given night to fire seven shutout innings.
Fried, for his part, has not been quite as dominant but has still been excellent. Though he lags a bit in ERA (12th in the AL at the moment), he’s sixth FIP and actually leads the Junior Circuit in expected ERA per Statcast, even outstripping Schlittler himself.
Schlittler’s resume so far is more impressive, and if you’re to base your choice on who has performed best in 2026, there is no comparison. But where Fried has an argument is in his reliability. There are few better bets to reach the 200-inning threshold this year than Fried, who FanGraphs projects to finish the year with 202 frames to his name. Schlittler might have more upside this season, and in any given start, than anyone on the planet, but Fried has the track record and is seemingly the safer bet to complete a full season’s workload.
Ultimately, it’ll be a delight if either Yankee secures the award, and all we’ll have to do here is root for them to finish 1-2 in some order. But if you had to handicap it now, who do you think has the better chance?
On the site today, Sam helps us turn the page on a dreadful series in Milwaukee by previewing the three-game set in Baltimore. Also, John profiles Walt Terrell as part of our Yankee Birthday series, and Kevin recaps a busy Sunday around the American League. And later, Josh wonders what’s gotten into the Tampa Bay Rays, while Madison puts out the call for this week’s mailbag.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles
Time: 6:35 p.m. EST
Video: YES Network, MASN
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
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