Yankees clubhouse split on if Cam Schlittler deserves MVP award

Aaron Boone helped thrust Cam Schlittler into the American League MVP discussion after another dominant outing in a 2-0 win over the Mets, saying the right-hander “might be the MVP, too.” 

“This is the kind of season where pitchers get in that mix, too,’’ the manager said of Schlittler, already the front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award. 

But the Yankees’ resident expert on the MVP award — three-time winner Aaron Judge — disagreed with Boone. 

“He’s definitely pitching like an MVP,’’ Judge said. “They’ve got a Cy Young Award for a reason: for the best pitcher in the game. He’s got my vote for Cy Young.” 

Schlittler likely remains a long shot for the award, as no full-time pitcher has won MVP since the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw got it in 2014 and no one has won it in the AL since Justin Verlander with Detroit did it in 2011. 

This season, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez is considered the favorite, followed by Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero. 

But following his six-shutout-inning performance against the Mets, Schlittler has the best ERA in the AL (1.95) and has pitched an AL-best 184 ²/₃ innings. 

Judge got the award in each of the previous three seasons in which he stayed healthy: 2022, ’24 and ’25. 

A torn ligament in his toe ended his chances in 2023, and this season, Judge isn’t in the conversation because he missed over three months with a stress fracture in his right rib. 

Since returning to open this homestand, Judge is 3-for-17, with no extra-base hits, a walk and nine strikeouts — and he went hitless with three strikeouts Sunday. 

Of his own performance, Judge said he’s “feeling really good. We keep winning games. That’s the most important thing.” 

And Boone added he believes Judge “feels close at the plate. I’ve been pleased with what I’ve seen. Watching from the side, he looks like Aaron to me.” 

He opened the Subway Series with a walk and a single against Nolan McLean, but ended it by going 0-for-8 with five strikeouts. 

Judge, as he did in 2023, didn’t go on a minor league rehab assignment before returning from a long injury, confident he was in good enough form to help the Yankees now, rather than taking at-bats in the minors. 

The Yankees agreed and Judge has hit three balls over 100 mph since his return and the Yankees have gone 4-1 with him back in the lineup as he tries to regain his timing and rhythm at the plate. 

“We’re winning games,’’ Judge said. “That’s the most important thing.”