​WASHINGTON — After a dazzling first half, Cam Schlittler’s next stop could be the mound at Citizens Bank Park. The first-time All-Star cemented his case to start the Midsummer Classic for the American League on Saturday, allowing two earned runs over 6 2/3 innings in a 4-2 win over the Nationals. Schlittler did surrender home runs to James Wood and Curtis Mead in the opening frame, but the Yankees rallied for a late comeback for the second straight game as Ryan McMahon, Trent Grisham, and Paul Goldschmidt each went deep in the eighth inning. McMahon and Goldschmidt hit solo shots, while Grisham’s two-run, in-between blast gave the Yankees the lead.
With that late surge, New York, which had previously dropped 15 of 20, earned its third consecutive win. “It’s electric to come back,” Schlittler said. “They bailed me out a little bit.” Schlittler contributed his part as well, giving a relief-heavy bullpen a needed cushion and handling a potent Nationals lineup. Washington posed a tough matchup, entering the game fourth in batting average (.274) and first in slugging (.481) against fastballs. Schlittler tends to lean on a fastball mix—four-seamer, cutter, and sinker—thrown about 91.5% of the time. While Wood and Mead connected on some heat early, Schlittler settled in, sharpening his command as the game progressed.
“That’s a heavy offense that they run at you,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, acknowledging the challenge Schlittler faced. “So it’s certainly a test, that’s for sure.” Schlittler’s effort pushed his season ERA to 2.05, the best among American League starters, and his 3.6 fWAR sits just behind Toronto’s Dylan Cease (3.7) for the league lead before Saturday’s game. Since debuting in MLB on July 9 last season, Schlittler has logged 137 strikeouts and 25 walks over 118 2/3 innings, after a six-strikeout, four-walk performance on Saturday that featured an uncharacteristic command stretch early.
“What he’s done all year is just really special,” said David Bednar, who earned the save on Saturday after pitching two innings on Friday and then closing the game. Bednar’s praise underscored Schlittler’s consistency and resilience, especially when the offense provided late support.
Before the victory, Boone indicated there was a strong chance Schlittler would pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Yet both he and Schlittler stressed the importance of letting the right-hander finish his final half-start cleanly before any commitments were made. Boone said he hadn’t yet heard from Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who is steering the AL squad, about Schlittler’s possible role. Schneider could opt to start in his own right, but Schlittler’s numbers have been compelling enough to fuel the debate. Cease has already stated that Schlittler has earned consideration, adding to the sense of anticipation around the AL rotation.
“We really just haven’t had that conversation yet,” Schlittler said. “We’ll see what happens in the next day or two, and if I’m comfortable with it, I’ll go from there.” The potential All-Star decision looms, but for now Schlittler is focused on finishing strong and letting the results speak for themselves.