New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler has been one of baseball’s breakout stars in 2026. Through 26 starts, the right-hander has a 2.19 ERA.
Pitching Friday, Aug. 21 against the Toronto Blue Jays, Schlittler certainly took his time breaking out of the Yankees’ dugout.
When the scheduled 7:05 p.m. start time rolled around, Schlittler was nowhere to be found. Cameras caught the Toronto Blue Jays — notably veteran pitcher Max Scherzer — visibly upset by Schlittler’s tardiness.
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Scherzer tapped an imaginary watch on his wrist while everyone — coaches, managers, and umpires — looked toward the Yankees’ dugout waiting for the starting pitcher to appear.
Schlittler didn’t waste too much time. But it’s unusual for a starting pitcher to be late for the mound by any amount. It’s unclear why Schlittler took so long.
Schlittler’s strong second half — he entered the game tied with Tarik Skubal and Gerrit Cole for the MLB lead in FanGraphs WAR since the All-Star break — has put him in position to contend for the American League Cy Young Award.
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But was he big-timing the Blue Jays and their future Hall of Fame pitcher?
Perhaps Schlittler was looking for the right shoes.
In recognition of “Player’s Weekend,” the pitcher was one of many who wore customized cleats onto the field. Schlittler’s kicks were “Star Wars” themed, with one light side and one dark side on each shoe.
Schlittler is an avowed Star Wars fan who told the YES Network his favorite movie is “Revenge of the Sith.”
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The Blue Jays, who are 63-66 and a half-game behind the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers for the final American League wild-card berth, might need to channel the force to beat Schlittler.
A victory would narrow the gap between the two AL East rivals in the standings, and allow Toronto to claim “revenge on the Schlit” against the tardy pitcher.
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