One of the best postseason debuts in MLB history was personal for Cam Schlittler.
Speaking a day after striking out 12 in eight scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees rookie detailed part of his motivation going into a winner-take-all version of the storied rivalry.
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Per The Athletic and the Associated Press, Schlittler said a group of Red Sox fans harassed his family members, including his mother, on social media, which he said “100 percent” helped him while pitching. He and his family, of course, got the last laugh:
“Theyâ€re just trying to get under your skin but I thought they crossed the line a little bit,†Schlittler said Friday. “At the end of the day, thereâ€s not much they can say now.â€
Schlittler had previously alluded to some “personal” motivation on Thursday night.
There’s some backstory here. Schlittler was born in Walpole, Massachusetts within 20 miles of downtown Boston, went to college at nearby Northeastern and still lives in the area during the offseason. He and his family were naturally Red Sox fans, until the Yankees selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
So several of those trolls hit home for the 24-year-old. His friends are also Red Sox fans, though they were apparently supportive of him despite the cost for their team, via the AP:
“Theyâ€re happy for me,†he said. “I think theyâ€re bummed out, obviously. Theyâ€re all Red Sox fans. I told them thatâ€s exactly what was going to happen. Theyâ€ll get over it. Hockey season is coming up, basketball season is coming up. Iâ€m sure theyâ€ve got other things to distract them.â€
Schlittler also decided to return fire on Friday, replying to a few accounts to rub in the best start of his professional career:
This likely won’t be Schlittler’s last run-in with the Red Sox, but he and the Yankees obviously have a more pressing concern with the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays. Schlittler is on track to get the start in Game 4 if necessary, which would be a repeat performance at Yankee Stadium.
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The whole thing is a surreal transformation for a pitcher who wasn’t even considered a significant prospect a couple years ago. Schlittler wasn’t even on MLB Pipeline’s list of top 30 Yankees prospects in 2024, but enormous velocity gains since then saw him make the jump from Double-A to a playoff rotation this year.
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