Yankees affiliate really could’ve used Pitcher of the Year winner in minor-league playoffs

It’s been a mostly successful week in Yankees Nation, outside of just one wrinkle down in the South Atlantic League, where the Hudson Valley Renegades could've really used an infusion of stardom on the mound.

New York's parent club clinched a postseason berth with a 2-1 win over the Mariners in 10 innings on Wednesday evening at T-Mobile Park. After a 7-3 run in their past ten games entering the weekend, they’ve taken charge in the AL East by a small margin over Baltimore, with eight games left in the regular season.

The Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders have eight wins in their past 10 games, and lead the International League’s East Division with a 1.0 game lead over the Worcester Red Sox, with two games left in the 2nd half of their regular season against the Buffalo Bisons. Despite a 43-32 home record in the 2024 campaign, they were eliminated from postseason contention on Wednesday.

The Double-A Somerset Patriots won their Eastern League Division Series on Thursday with an exciting, extra-inning 4-3 win over the Hartford Yard Goats to cap off an ELDS sweep. No. 2 prospect Spencer Jones went 2-for-5 and provided the dagger with a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th. They advance to the best of three Eastern League Championship Series on Sunday.

Jones extended his on-base streak to 10 games, a stretch over which he’s 14-for-39 (.358) with three home runs, six RBI, and seven runs scored. Jones has multiple hits in three straight games dating back to the final day of the regular season, and leads the Patriots with 38 multi-hit games this season.

Somerset ace and Yankees No. 17 prospect Zach Messinger had six strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings in the series winner; over his last nine starts, the 6-foot-6 righty posted a 1.69 ERA over 53 innings.

The only hiccup was the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades losing Wednesday in the South Atlantic League Championship, falling 4-1 to the Bowling Green Hot Rods in a deciding Game 3 of the best-of-three series. It’s a second straight year they’ve come up short in the Championship series, but their 73 regular season wins set a franchise record; their 47-19 home record was the best in Minor League Baseball this year.

Cam Schlittler the missing elixir for Yankees' High-A affiliate?

Despite starter Trent Sellers’ career-high five innings in a gutsy deciding game effort, Hudson Valley really could have used their ace Cam Schlittler with the title on the line. The 6-foot-6, 23-year-old righty was so good in the first half that he earned a promotion to Somerset on August 6 and pitched his way into the Yankees’ Top 30 prospect list, rising to No. 25 in MLB Pipeline’s latest update.

In fact, Schlittler was just named as a 2024 South Atlantic League All-Star (postseason) along with Sellers, and also garnered the SAL’s Pitcher of the Year award, the second straight Hudson Valley pitcher to win after Drew Thorpe, who was dealt to San Diego in the Juan Soto trade, secured the honor last year.

The hardware is well deserved for the 2023 seventh-round pick out of Northeastern University; in 17 starts with the Renegades, Schlittler was 6-4 with a 2.60 ERA in 86 2/3 innings, with 108 strikeouts and a measly .191 opponents' batting average against. At the time of his early August promotion to Double-A, Schlittler led the SAL in ERA and opponents' batting average, was second in WHIP (1.13), and was tied for second in strikeouts and sixth in innings pitched.

Renegades pitching coach Spencer Medick spoke highly of Schlittler recently, stating, “Cam had an incredible sophomore campaign in pro ball. He really dedicated himself to training last offseason and put himself on the map as a prospect this year. He’s got an MLB fastball with a ton of pitchability. I still think he’s underrated as a prospect and his breakout this year is only the beginning. He didn’t miss a beat after his promotion to Double-A and has been dominant in Somerset as well.”

So while having their ace back might have helped flip the result in the Hudson Valley, Yankees fans have to be pleased that top prospects in the system are performing under the brightest lights in postseason baseball, and also winning hardware to recognize their dominance.