NEW YORK — The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox never expected their playoff hopes to come down to the rookie pitchers they will each start in a do-or-die Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.
But the Yankees seemingly have a major advantage in the matchup, having plenty of reason to expect righty Cam Schlittler to outduel lefty Connelly Early. Yankees assistant pitching coach Preston Claiborne put it succinctly before his team’s 4-3 win Wednesday forced the elimination game.
“Win tonight, and the season rests on Cam,” Claiborne said. “That’s a good place to be. That’s where we want to be.”
Schlittler, 24, may win some down-ballot AL Rookie of the Year votes with the 4-3 record and 2.96 ERA he posted over 14 starts after his July 9 debut. He’s used a fastball that’s averaged 98 mph and has touched 100 mph, along with an impressive cutter and developing curveball. He’s fanned 10.4 batters per nine innings, though he’s also walked 3.8.
Catcher Austin Wells was asked what makes him so confident in Schlittler going into Thursday.
“Everything he’s done this year,” Wells said. “He’s faced great teams and he’s thrown really well. I’m excited to see him go out there tomorrow.”
Cam Schlittler speaks on the deciding Game 3 matchup tomorrow vs. another rookie pitcher, Connelly Early 🔊 pic.twitter.com/vnuhHi4YBI
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 2, 2025
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Early became Boston’s emergency choice after veteran Lucas Giolito went down with an elbow injury just before the start of the playoffs. Early has pitched well in his four MLB starts, going 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA. But he’s faced only one formidable lineup, giving up a pair of runs in five innings to the Detroit Tigers last week.
The scale should also tip in the Yankees’ favor in terms of the bullpen matchups. If Early can’t go deep, Cora may be looking at mixing-and-matching with a tired bullpen. In Game 2, manager Alex Cora lifted starting pitcher Brayan Bello with two on and one out in the third inning, using six members of his bullpen to piece together the remaining innings. He also needed 47 pitches (1 2/3 innings) from Garrett Whitlock, his best reliever aside from Aroldis Chapman. Cora said it was unclear whether Whitlock would be available for Game 3.
“See where we’re at tomorrow,” he said. “But the rest, they are in good shape.”
Though the Yankees have used three of their top relievers (David Bednar, Devin Williams and Fernando Cruz) in the first two games, none amassed high pitch counts. The Yankees will also hope to have a more effective Luke Weaver after he was able to rest Wednesday following Tuesday’s meltdown. They may be able to turn to Will Warren, if needed. He’s yet to pitch in relief this season but could provide multiple innings, having thrown 81 pitches in his last start. He completed his first full season with a 4.44 ERA over 33 starts.
Fernando Cruz reacts after pitching a scoreless seventh inning in Game 2. (Ishika Samant / Getty Images)
Cruz smiled when asked if he would be ready to pitch a third day in a row with Williams and Bednar.
“I would never, never, never doubt that,” he said. “We’re all in and pitching well, and we’re going to be ready for the whole thing.”
Schlittler will be the biggest part of the equation, though. The 6-foot-6 fireballer has pitched into the sixth inning in seven of his starts and he went seven scoreless frames in his final start of the regular season versus the Baltimore Orioles. Clairborne called that a major moment for the Massachusetts native.
“(It) was just the culmination of the continued work he’s done since he’s been in the big leagues,” the coach said. “Kind of growing into who he is as a power pitcher.”
Schlittler said he’s ready for the assignment.
“For (manager Aaron Boone) to put faith in me and we get to Game 3,” he said, “that means a lot. So just making sure I am taking it as another game and (I’m) going to do my job.”
He’s done that so far. He’s also been unflappable, hardly showing emotion on the mound. When he walked off the mound at the end of his first MLB start, he didn’t even look up at the crowd giving him an ovation.
“He’s unfazed by the moment he’s in and he expects to have success here,” pitching coach Matt Blake said.
“The easy thing to say is unflappable,” Claiborne said, “but the best way to say it is he’s a f—-ing competitor.”
“He carries himself well,” Game 2 starter Carlos Rodón said. “Good demeanor. Pretty relaxed. Off the mound, really relaxed. Chill guy. Not surprising to have that kind of demeanor. There’s fire in there when he’s competing. Don’t let him lie to you that he wasn’t nervous for that first start (of his career). But that’s kind of the demeanor you want as a starting pitcher.”
Schlittler grew up a Red Sox fan but said his family has fully converted to being Yankees fans since the team drafted him in the seventh round in 2022. His teammates are behind him, too. They expect Schlittler to propel them into the American League Division Series, which starts Sunday versus the AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays.
“Everybody knows the kind of stuff that Cam has,” Rodón said. “He’s equipped well with a pretty impressive arsenal. I am excited to see him go to work. I am excited to see the energy and the crowd and how he interacts with that. It’s going to be really good for him. He needs to experience this. I’m looking forward to seeing him dominate tomorrow.”
(Top photo of Cam Schlittler: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
