Cam Schlittler isn’t losing sleep over not starting the All-Star Game. But he also wants to make something clear: he made his decision before anyone else made one for him.
The Yankees right-hander was passed over for the American League starting spot in favor of Toronto’s Dylan Cease, a choice made by Blue Jays manager John Schneider. That might sound like a slight on paper. But Schlittler says he had already told the league he wouldn’t be pitching in the game at all — prioritizing the second half of New York’s season — before Cease’s name was ever announced.
“I found that out after I decided I wasn’t going to pitch. For me, that’s a non-controllable,” Schlittler told reporters Monday, via SNY Yankees. “You know, Dylan’s been great this year. I haven’t had a chance to sit down with Schneider yet, but I would like to have a good conversation, just introduce myself and go from there. There’s no hard feelings. That’s not something I can control. I’m more worried about the second half, and Dylan deserves that.”
Schlittler, 25, is having a monster season in his second year with the Yanks. Through 20 starts and 118.2 innings, he’s posted a 2.05 ERA with 137 strikeouts and a 9-5 record. Those numbers could have made a strong case for him to start on Tuesday night — if he’d been available. But he’s not, and the decision not to pitch was entirely his.
Schneider’s pick wasn’t a snub, and Schlittler knows it
Some fans and analysts tried to stir up drama when Schneider — who’s managing the AL squad this year — went with his own guy in Cease over a Yankee. It’s the kind of thing that gets people talking on social media for a day or two. But Schlittler isn’t buying into the narrative.
Cease deserves the nod, he says. And the numbers back that up. Cease has a 2.56 ERA, 148 strikeouts and a 6-4 record for Toronto. It’s not like Schneider reached for a middle reliever. The guy’s been elite.
As for whether Schlittler might still make an appearance in some capacity, he left the door cracked open, according to MLB.com. But he’s been clear about his priority: staying healthy and effective for a Yankees team that expects to be playing deep into October.
Sometimes the biggest non-story in baseball is the one everyone tries to turn into controversy. Schlittler handled it like a veteran who knows what matters more than a single exhibition start.
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