Yankees ace Cam Schlittler wins AL Cy Young Award unanimously

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New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler was unanimously voted the American League Cy Young Award winner on Wednesday. The 25-year-old received all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, finishing ahead of Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease and Cleveland Guardians rookie Parker Messick. Schlittler is the seventh Yankees pitcher to win the award and the first since Gerrit Cole in 2023. He is also the youngest Yankee ever to earn the honour.

Schlittler dominated the league in his first full major league season, posting an AL-best 1.95 earned-run average over 193 and two-thirds innings. He struck out 239 batters and led qualified AL pitchers in pitching wins above replacement. The Yankees won 21 of his 33 starts. "Cam had as dominant a season as a starting pitcher can have from start to finish," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said in a statement released by the club. Dylan Cease finished second in the voting, earning 22 second-place votes, six third-place votes and two fourth-place votes for a total of 110 points. This marks the second runner-up finish for the Blue Jays right-hander, who also placed second while with the Chicago White Sox in 2022. Cease pitched to a 2.40 ERA with 239 strikeouts over 169 innings in his debut season with Toronto after signing a seven-year, $210-million contract last off-season.

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How did Schlittler rise to become an ace?

Cam Schlittler's path to the Cy Young Award was rapid. The Yankees selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 draft out of Northeastern University, where he threw an 88-mile-per-hour fastball. The organization believed he could add strength and velocity. He made his major league debut in July 2025 and turned in 14 excellent starts before a dominant performance in a wild-card series clincher against the Boston Red Sox. "They're not going to baby you. This is professional baseball," Schlittler told USA TODAY Sports earlier this year. "I took advantage of the resources I had, the coaches and teammates I had along the way and that's why I'm in the position I'm in."

He channeled that momentum into 2026, posting 11 starts where he pitched into at least the seventh inning while allowing two or fewer runs. His fastball averaged 98 miles per hour, ranking in the 94th percentile for velocity and the 100th percentile for run value. Schlittler has emerged as the ace in a Yankees rotation that includes Cole and free-agent acquisitions Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. He is the first home-grown Yankees Cy Young winner since Ron Guidry in 1978.

Where did Dylan Cease finish in the voting?

Dylan Cease finished as the runner-up for the American League Cy Young Award, receiving 110 points in the balloting. He was named on every ballot, with 22 voters placing him second, six placing him third and two placing him fourth. Cease appeared to be in a tight race with Schlittler heading into the final stretch of the season, but his performance dipped as his fastball velocity diminished. The 30-year-old was eventually placed on the injured list in late September with a shoulder injury. Despite the finish, Cease was named an All-Star for the first time in 2026, starting the Midsummer Classic for the American League. Garbutt Disposal reported earlier this month that Cease posted an 11-6 record with a 2.40 ERA in 29 starts for Toronto.

He joins Kevin Gausman, Alek Manoah, Robbie Ray and Hyun Jin Ryu as Blue Jays Cy Young finalists since 2020. Ray won the award in 2021. Parker Messick of the Cleveland Guardians finished third in the voting with 84 points, while Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen finished fourth with 72 points. Schlittler, Cease, Messick and Rasmussen were the only pitchers named on all 30 ballots.

What is the historical significance of Schlittler's win?

Cam Schlittler's unanimous selection marks the 14th time an American League pitcher has been a unanimous Cy Young winner and the third time for the Yankees. He joins Gerrit Cole (2023) and Ron Guidry (1978) as unanimous winners in the Bronx. Other Yankees winners were Bob Turley in 1958, Whitey Ford in 1961, Sparky Lyle in 1977 and Roger Clemens in 2001. "It's amazing for Roger to be on here and to give me that award. It's a special moment," Schlittler said on MLB Network, referring to Clemens being part of the award presentation. The voting was conducted by two writers from each American League city before the postseason, with points awarded on a seven-point scale for first place down to one point for fifth.

Schlittler said he is preparing to be a workhorse for the Yankees again next season. "I think I'm in a really good spot to handle the workload again next year," Schlittler said. "We obviously didn't meet the end goal, and the end goal is to win a championship and that's where my eyes are." He remains under team control through the 2031 season and is not yet eligible for salary arbitration.

With files from Sportsnet, Yahoo Sports and BBWAA