With Max Fried down, the Yankees have another ace in Cam Schlittler

NEW YORK — For any club, losing a $218 million starting pitcher would be debilitating for their chances to stay afloat in the standings. Not the 2026 New York Yankees.

That’s because the Yankees have a burgeoning ace in 25-year-old Cam Schlittler. Before New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto hit a solo home run in the seventh inning of Friday night’s 5-2 Yankees win, Schlittler flirted with franchise history. Had he gotten out of that inning unscathed, Schlittler would have cemented himself as the Yankees’ starter with the lowest ERA through his first 10 starts of a season, surpassing the mark established by Phil Niekro, who recorded a 1.20 ERA in 1984.

Instead, Schlittler will have to settle for a 1.35 ERA, the best mark among MLB starters. Schlittler’s 68 strikeouts rank No. 3 in MLB; his 0.78 WHIP ranks No. 2; and his .168 batting average against ranks No. 3. It’s pure mastery from Schlittler when he’s on the mound.

“Cam is sick,” Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “He goes out there and dominates every game.”

The Yankees received concerning news before Friday’s Subway Series matchup, as they placed Max Fried on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow bone bruise. The club does not know when Fried will return, but the lefty said surgery is not being considered. With Fried out indefinitely, the Yankees will need Schlittler to continue pitching like one of the best in the sport.

That does not seem to be a big ask, even for someone who made his MLB debut just 10 months ago.

“He is pitching like an ace,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I don’t think Cam’s affected by much. He expects to dominate and pitch well, (having) Max or not. I don’t think it affects what Cam’s got to do.”

Schlittler said he didn’t think he had his “A-plus” stuff Friday, and yet he held the Mets to two hits, two walks and one run while striking out nine batters across 6 2/3 innings. The professor must not have drunk his coffee before grading Schlittler’s outing.

The righty has continued to establish himself by being one of MLB’s most unusual starters. Schlittler came into his start against the Mets throwing fastballs 90.3 percent of the time, which is the highest percentage among starters; Milwaukee’s Chad Patrick is the next highest at 84.5 percent. On Friday, Schlittler threw fastballs 93 percent of the time. What makes Schlittler so difficult to hit is the overwhelming velocity and movement he possesses with his four-seamer, two-seamer and cutter. The Mets whiffed on 38 percent of their swings against Schlittler.

“You have 100 mph rising, you have 100 mph cutting, and you have 100 mph barreling into your barrel if you’re a righty,” Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton said earlier this season, as to what makes a pitcher such as Schlittler so difficult. “There’s not much of a slowdown for your barrel. You’ve got to pick right.”

Losing Fried may be a gut punch for most organizations, but with Schlittler continuing his ascension into stardom, the Yankees might be able to continue performing as one of the league’s best clubs without much of a blip.