Welcome Home, Cam Schrittler
It’s a special moment—Cam Schrittler is back on the mound. This is his first appearance since October when he left quite an impression during a critical playoff game against the Red Sox and then came up just short against the Blue Jays in the American League Division Series.
On Tuesday night, the young right-handed pitcher, who’s gaining recognition for his impressive skills, will take the field again as the Yankees face off against the Athletics.
Fans can expect to see his newly refined cutter, which is clocking in harder than before. This adds a third fastball option to his already effective mix that includes those classic four-seam and two-seam fastballs reminiscent of the late ’90s.
He’s throwing faster than he ever has—averaging 95.1 mph, which, as of Monday, puts him just behind Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski’s 95.9 mph and ties with Cincinnati’s Chase Barnes. With this speed, he’s also maintained the command he developed during his time in the Yankees’ system, where he often pitched in the low 90s.
The combination of his dominating ability and pinpoint accuracy led to an astonishing 15 strikeouts, with no runs or walks, in his outings against the Giants and Mariners, making him the first pitcher in franchise history to achieve such a feat over two games.
“His calling card since joining us has been his effectiveness in throwing strikes, especially with his fastball,” manager Aaron Boone stated. “He’s really elevated his game, which has been wonderful to see.”
At 25, he faced a bit of a hiccup during spring training due to some lower back issues but seems to have bounced back. Although he limited his pitches to 68 and 79 in his first two starts, he managed respectable innings of 5 and 6 plus. Likely, he won’t be expected to exceed 100 pitches on Tuesday, but his precise control should allow him to go deep into the game, making a few victories quite possible.
“We’re focusing on attacking the zone and utilizing our pitches wisely to maximize our effectiveness,” Schrittler mentioned during a post-game in Seattle.
The crowd definitely made some noise when he was introduced during the home opener, but things are likely to get even louder on what could be termed “Schrittler Day.”
In other news, Ben Rice, boasting an impressive .421 batting average with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs, just fell short of American League Player of the Week honors against Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, who recorded a .471 batting average, 3 home runs, and 8 RBIs.
