Cam Schlittler's blazing fastball powering the Yankees win was previously unthinkable

By now, the world knows what Cam Schlittler did. The New York Yankees rookie right-hander was the driving force behind the Bombers sending the Boston Red Sox home for good by virtue of an eight-inning, 12-strikeout performance.

At this point, Yankees fans have become accustomed to watching Schlittler light up radar guns. In the decisive Game 3 matchup, Schlittler touched 101 miles per hour multiple times. You know by now that the 24-year-old has an electric fastball. What you may not know is just how heavily he relied upon it during his utter domination of the Red Sox, and how unthinkable this all was just two short years ago.

The extent to which Cam Schlittler relied on his fastball to propel the Yankees to victory is unfathomable, for multiple reasons

The Massachusetts native sliced and diced his boyhood club. Seemingly whenever he needed a big out, it was the heater he relied upon. He leveraged it as more than a put-away pitch, too. Of the 107 pitches he threw, 96 of them were some type of fastball (four-seamer, sinker, or cutter), a whopping 89% of his total.

Of those fastballs, the four-seamers averaged 98.9 miles per hour. The sinker came in even faster somehow, registering an average velocity of 99.0 miles per hour. Even the cutter, typically a tad slower due to its slider-like movement, came in at an average of 93.6.

Despite a slim mix of pitches, Schlittler generated 18 whiffs on 54 swings, good for a 33.33% whiff rate. To put that in context, Dylan Cease led all major league starters in whiff rate in 2025 with a 33.4% mark.

Schlittler said to the Red Sox, "Here's what's coming. I dare you to hit it." They couldn't.

The performance defies logic. Yes, pitchers throw harder and harder seemingly every year, but the foundation of consistently getting outs is changing speeds. Hall of Famer Greg Maddux once said about the art of pitching (and about Tony Gwynn), "If a pitcher can change speeds, every hitter is helpless, limited by human vision. Except for that (expletive) Tony Gwynn.”

Cam Schlittler's performance said, "Challenge accepted."

Three years ago, the Yankees drafted a little-known pitcher out of Northeastern University in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft. At the time, scouts noted that his fastball velocity sat between 88-93 miles per hour. The following season, he'd make his professional debut in the Florida Complex League and had his average fastball velocity sitting at 89-90 miles per hour. His name was Cam Schlittler.

At six-foot-six, there was always some projection that he could add move velocity given his prototypical frame. However, college pitchers with velocity that tops out in the low-90s and undistinguished secondary offerings aren't exactly uncommon. Cam Schlittler is.

Through much hard work and with the help of the Yankees' training and development staff, Schlittler began to add velocity as he rapidly progressed through the system. Still, as of spring training this very year, he was still averaging just 95 on the gun. That's enough to get by for sure, but not exactly what you would call a high-octane fastball in these modern times.

By season's end, Schlitter's average fastball had risen higher, coming in at 97.8 miles per hour, ranking sixth-fastest among big league starters with at least 70 innings pitched, marking yet another incredible leap.

The rate at which Schlittler has increased his velocity is astounding and seemingly inhuman in such a short amount of time. Against Boston, he was consistently hitting 99 and above, marking yet another jump - though this time, rather than hard work, a little bit of rage might have been the driving factor.

Still, his transformation from long-shot prospect with a below-average fastball to a dominant flamethrower in the short span of two years is unheard of. These developments speak to the outstanding work ethic he has. If he can transform his fastball like this, what can't he do?

Game 3's performance is just the tip of the iceberg. If Schlittler can undergo a metamorphosis like this, where is the limit? This wasn't just a strong showing. It was a coming-out party. Now, the rest of the league has been put on notice.