If you shoot for the moon, you will land among the stars.
asserted
you → shoot → stars
In Cam Schlittler’s case, however, he and his blazing fastball may take him past the stars and straight to the moon.
uncertain
he → blaze → moon
The swashbuckling 25-year-old is all but a lock to win the American League Cy Young Award.
asserted
old → win → Award
He should win the American League MVP too.
asserted
He → win → MVP
Schlittler should become just the 12th player in MLB history to win the Cy Young and MVP in the same season.
asserted
Schlittler → become → season
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uncertain
page → contain → partners
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uncertain
News → sign → wager
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asserted
that → create → newsroom
Heading into his final start of the year against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, Schlittler leads all American League pitchers in ERA (1.94) and is tied for first in WHIP with Drew Rasmussen (0.91).
asserted
Schlittler → head → Rasmussen
He has been durable, making all his starts, and is second in the AL in innings pitched (190 2/3).
asserted
He → make → innings
With a devastating combination of cutters, sinkers and fastballs, the young right-hander has racked up 234 strikeouts, third in the AL behind Cleveland Guardians ace Gavin Williams (244) and likely Cy Young runner-up Dylan Cease (239).
asserted
hander → rack → Williams
Schlittler has set a Yankees franchise record by allowing one or no runs in 21 starts this year.
asserted
Schlittler → set → starts
He became just the third pitcher age 25 or younger in the live-ball era, which began in 1920, to achieve the feat, joining Dean Chance (1964) and Blake Snell (2018).
asserted
which → become → Chance
Schlittler also leads the AL in bWAR with 7.0, ahead of other MVP contenders such as Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez (6.6), Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. (6.5) and Rays phenom Junior Caminero (5.6).
The numbers for Schlittler are outstanding, but they don’t tell the full story.
asserted
they → lead → story
Schlittler has been the pillar of the Yankees' pitching staff, which leads all of baseball with a 3.21 team ERA.
asserted
which → lead → ERA
While the pitching staff has been fantastic, it has have dealt with plenty of injuries to the starting rotation.
asserted
it → deal → rotation
Gerrit Cole didn’t make his season debut until May 22, as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
uncertain
he → make → surgery
Carlos Rodón began the season on the IL after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur and loose bodies and didn’t debut until May 10.
uncertain
Rodón → begin → May
He returned to the IL on July 3 and didn’t come back until Aug. 18.
asserted
He → return → Aug.
Rodón was not the only Yankees ace to land on the IL twice, as Max Fried did as well.
asserted
Fried → land → IL
Fried first went on the IL with a left elbow bone bruise on May 13, right after Cole returned, and was activated on July 22.
uncertain
Cole → go → July
He went on the IL for a second time on Aug. 17 with the same injury and returned Aug. 29.
asserted
He → go → injury
Ryan Weathers, who had been key in stepping up during the absences of Cole, Fried and Rodón, went on the IL on Aug. 23 with a left forearm flexor strain.
For the Yankees, not only was it paramount that Schlittler make every start, but it was also essential that he remain dominant to help keep the rotation afloat.
asserted
he → step → rotation
Adding to the pressure on Schlittler and the pitching staff as a whole, the Yankees’ offense cratered after Aaron Judge was placed on the IL at the beginning of June.
asserted
Judge → add → June
Since June 1, the Yankees have hit a paltry .229 with a putrid .297 on-base percentage.
asserted
Yankees → hit → percentage
The Yankees’ offensive ineptitude put further pressure on Schlittler and Co. to win games without Judge.
asserted
ineptitude → put → Judge
In 2023, the Yankees’ season went off the rails when Judge suffered a torn ligament in his toe.
asserted
Judge → go → toe
They went 25-31 without the captain and missed the postseason.
asserted
They → go → postseason
The Yankees’ pitching staff in 2023, led by Cole, who won the AL Cy Young Award that season, had a 3.97 ERA, which was not enough to save the Yankees from finishing 82-80.
asserted
which → lead → Yankees
In 2026, the Yankees went 48-41 without Judge in the lineup, buoyed by the pitching staff’s excellence.
asserted
Yankees → go → excellence
Carried by the Schlittler-led pitching staff, the Yankees made the postseason and secured home-field advantage in the American League Wild Card Series.
asserted
Yankees → carry → Series
While the Yankees didn’t catch the Tampa Bay Rays and win the American League East, they might have missed the postseason entirely if it weren’t for Schlittler.
uncertain
it → catch → Schlittler
The hulking left-handed hitter, with a .316 batting average, 41 home runs and 102 RBI made a bid for the Triple Crown, but that seems out of reach.
asserted
that → make → reach
Alvarez has been primarily a designated hitter, filling that role in 131 of the 154 games he played this season.
asserted
he → designate → games
Shohei Ohtani is the only player to win an MVP as a primary designated hitter, and he did so after becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.
asserted
he → win → season
Unless Alvarez surges to win the Triple Crown, nothing he is doing this season is unprecedented or historic.
asserted
he → surge → Crown
Alvarez’s Astros, who are 78-80, might miss the postseason despite playing in the American League West, a division that has been historically bad.
uncertain
that → miss → West
Bobby Witt Jr. has been his usual superstar self but missed 11 games due to injury and has also taken a slight step back from last season while playing for the AL Central-worst Kansas City Royals.
asserted
Jr. → miss → Royals
Caminero, the linchpin of the AL-leading Rays’ lineup, trails Schlittler in bWAR by more than a full win.
asserted
Caminero → lead → win
Still, his .274 average and 41 home runs leave him in the thick of the AL MVP race.
asserted
average → leave → race
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
