Make New York Post a Preferred Source In the end, the Yankees chose not to overthink it: they are giving the ball to their likely Cy Young winner.
Cam Schlittler will start Game 1 of the AL wild-card series against the Red Sox on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, the club announced Sunday, going with their dominant right-hander against his hometown team.
Max Fried will start Game 2 and Gerrit Cole is lined up for Game 3.
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Schlittler, who finished the regular season with a 1.95 ERA, will be on his regular fifth day Tuesday. The Yankees debated giving him an extra day of rest, with the long season (and they hope a long October) in mind, but instead opted to pitch their best arm right out of the game.
Last year, Schlittler pitched the clinching Game 3 of the AL wild-card series against the Red Sox and then continued to shove against them this season, posting a 0.74 ERA in four starts.
During the regular season – when he racked up a career-high 193 2/3 innings – Schlittler pitched to a 2.21 ERA in 15 starts on four days’ rest and a 1.42 ERA in 14 starts on five days’ rest.
Yankees’ Cam Schlittler delivers a pitch against the New York Mets during the third inning of an MLB baseball game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. Noah K. Murray for NY Post Schlittler and Max Fried both threw bullpen sessions on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, keeping them both in play to pitch Tuesday, before announcing their decision.
