Aaron Judge had a clear answer when asked whether Cam Schlittler should be considered for the American League MVP Award after the New York Yankees’ 2-0 win over the New York Mets.
Judge believes Schlittler’s dominant season deserves recognition, but he thinks the Yankees ace should focus on the Cy Young Award.
“They’ve got a Cy Young Award for a reason best pitcher in the game,” Judge said. “He’s got my vote, definitely, for the Cy Young.”
Schlittler gave Judge another reason to praise him Sunday. The right-hander held the Mets to one hit and two walks while striking out eight over six scoreless innings to help the Yankees win the Subway Series.
He briefly left the game after taking a comebacker off his body, but he was able to continue pitching without an apparent issue. The performance lowered his ERA to 1.95 and improved his record to 14-6.
Schlittler has been one of the Yankees’ most important players throughout the season, especially after injuries affected the team’s rotation. He has now made 31 starts and has thrown 184.2 innings with 228 strikeouts and a 0.90 WHIP.
His numbers have also fueled an unusual MVP conversation. Pitchers rarely win the award, with Justin Verlander the last American League pitcher to do so in 2011, but Schlittler has put himself into that discussion with his performance.
Judge, however, believes the Cy Young is the more appropriate recognition for his teammate.
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The Yankees improved to 86-63 with Sunday’s victory and remain four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. They are also sitting in the first AL Wild Card position with the postseason approaching.
For Judge, the bigger goal is helping the Yankees make a deep postseason run after returning from his rib injury.
For Schlittler, the focus now turns to finishing what has been a remarkable breakout season and strengthening his case for the Cy Young Award.
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