Cam Schlittler is not expecting Tropicana Field to feel like a traditional road environment when the New York Yankees face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series. The rookie right-hander believes the number of traveling Yankees supporters could make a significant difference in the stands.
Schlittler made that clear while discussing the atmosphere ahead of the series. His comments added an extra layer of intrigue to an already tense matchup between two American League East rivals, with both teams chasing a place in the next round.
The Yankees pitcher suggested that the Rays might not receive the usual home-field advantage, pointing to the possibility of a strong New York presence in Tampa Bay.
“I wouldn’t say there’s really too much of a (home) crowd here. I expect there to be a lot of Yankees fans. In some ways, you are, to an extent, kind of playing at home. I feel like the guys are excited to have that atmosphere here,” Schlittler said.
It was a confident assessment, especially with the Rays entering the postseason as a top seed. Tampa Bay has built its reputation around competing with a smaller-market budget, and its home crowd will have an opportunity to answer Schlittler when the series moves forward.
The rookie has plenty of reasons to believe in himself. He delivered a strong regular season and carried that form into the Wild Card round, where he struck out 10 batters across 6.1 scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox.
That performance helped New York advance, but the ALDS presents a different challenge. The Rays have already shown they can make life difficult for the Yankees, opening the series with a 1-0 win.
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Schlittler’s comments now give the Tampa Bay crowd another reason to bring energy to the ballpark. A loud response could quickly turn his prediction into a talking point throughout the series.
The young right-hander has shown he can handle pressure on the mound. His next challenge is proving that confidence can hold up in an environment where the opposing fans are determined to make themselves heard.
