​Those hoping to see Cam Schlittler take the mound in the All-Star Game will probably come away disappointed. Schlittler has stressed that he will be “ready if they need me,” but he plans to use the break dedicated to the Midsummer Classic to rest and gear up for the crucial push in the second half of the season. Curiously, AL team manager John Schneider revealed plans to choose his own pitcher with the Blue Jays, Dylan Cease, to start the All-Star Game for the AL, even though Schlittler enjoyed a standout first half and had initially indicated willingness to pitch on what would have been a between-starts bullpen day. Schlittler also admitted that he did not want to push too hard into game-level effort this early, fearing a sluggish recovery for his first start after the break.
Meanwhile, ESPN notes a milestone moment for the Yankees as they closed out the first half by sweeping the Nationals in a three-game series, completing the run in historic fashion. The team overcame a deficit after the seventh inning or later in each of the three victories—the first time that the franchise has achieved such a feat since May 19-21, 1910, when they played as the Highlanders and swept the Cleveland Naps. The Yankees finished the pre-break portion of the schedule with a four-game winning streak and a 5-2 road trip, arriving at the break three games behind the Rays for the top spot in the division after enduring what had been their roughest stretch of the season.
MLB.com’s Jared Greenspan delivers news from the draft room: there’s a new Pettitte donning the pinstripes. In the eighth round of the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday, the Yankees selected Luke Pettitte, the son of Andy Pettitte, with the 248th pick out of Dallas Baptist University. Luke began as a right-handed pitcher who posted a 3.19 ERA over 17 games before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He was unable to pitch his junior season, pivoted to become a full-time designated hitter, and delivered an eye-catching slash line of .337/.403/.693 with 16 home runs and 48 RBI.
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports that the Yankees have finalized their 2026 MLB Draft class, bringing in potentially 20 new faces to the organization. The club emphasized a balanced approach on draft day, selecting eight pitchers and 12 position players, with 16 college players and four high-school players. The first two picks were left-handed pitchers, led by Hunter Dietz, whom many evaluators regard as the best left-handed pitcher in the Draft. The Yankees’ day concluded with the addition of a catcher and an outfielder, underscoring a strategy that aims to blend immediate contributors with potential long-term projects, and to maintain depth across the roster as they build for the years to come.