Cam Schlittler wins AL Cy Young. Inside Yankees ace's historic season

That marvelous 1978 season by Ron Guidry is the Yankees’ gold standard.In his second year as a starter, Guidry pitched to a sub-2.00 ERA and became the youngest Yankee to capture the AL Cy Young Award.And those Guidry starts at Yankee Stadium became appointment viewing, creating an electric atmosphere with his dazzling arsenal of swing-and-miss stuff.Cam Schlittler performed off a similar script in 2026.In his sophomore season in the Yankees’ rotation, Schlittler fashioned a 1.95 ERA across 33 starts and embraced the role of an ace at age 25.Now, Schlittler is the youngest Yankee to earn a Cy Young Award, with the Nov. 11 announcement of the balloting by 30 members of the Baseball Writers’ Association.“He’s become an ace in every facet," manager Aaron Boone had said after watching “one of the really outstanding seasons by a Yankees pitcher.“And that’s saying a lot."Cam Schlittler's memorable 2026 season Gerrit Cole had been the most recent Yankees’ Cy Young Award winner, as a unanimous choice in 2023.In 2026, Schlittler posted the lowest ERA of any Yankees starter since Guidry's 1.74 during that incredible ’78 season.That year ultimately ended with a second straight Yankees world championship.It’s been 17 years since the Yanks’ last title, and despite Schlittler’s brilliance, the team hasn’t made it past the AL Division Series in his two pinstriped seasons.About an hour into the Yankees’ offseason, Schlittler gave a blunt assessment of their season.“The expectation is to be able to win a championship," Schlittler said after the Yankees were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS.He’d just completed a standout 2026, including 239 strikeouts and two-or-fewer runs allowed in 25 starts - a year that was certain to earn him award recognition in November.But that wasn’t much consolation after an early October exit.“I think everyone in this locker room can contribute to (a title)," Schlittler said. "We just didn’t fulfill that or play to that expectation as a group."Why Cam Schlittler thrives away from Yankee StadiumSchlittler’s accountability wasn’t surprising; he’s not given to reciting boilerplate answers on any topic and he’s unafraid about agitating the waters now and then.He also derives some added incentive from outside sources, whether it’s something exaggerated on social media or in the stands.“I find ways to use that to my advantage,"Schlittler said this year. “I think I’m good at keeping receipts."Maybe that partially explains Schlittler’s stunning 1.16 ERA and 8-2 record in 17 road starts during the regular season (he was 6-4, 2.98 in 17 Bronx starts)."He just believes he's going to get every single hitter out," catcher Austin Wells said. "And as a hitter, you feel that, too."Finding a Yankees gem in Red Sox countryDuring another AL Wild Card Series matchup against Boston, it wasn’t lost – on either Red Sox Nation or Yankees Universe – that the Yanks’ two biggest contributors in 2026 were unsung draft picks from New England.That would be Ben Rice (12th round, 2021, Dartmouth) from Cohasset, Massachusetts, and Schlittler (7th round, 2022, Northeastern) from Walpole, Massachusetts.Schlittler’s 6.1 shutout innings (10 strikeouts) and Rice’s four-hit night with two homers, including a grand slam, highlighted the Yanks’ 9-0 win against Boston in the Wild Card opener, on the way to a two-game sweep.Yankees scout Matt Hyde signed both players, advocating for Schlittler as a strike thrower and projecting his ability before he lit up radar guns with 100-plus mph fastballs.Hyde has recalled the college-aged Schlittler as being “different than anybody else in his professionalism, his intent, his conviction.“We had him come to our pre-draft workout at Somerset and he looked like a professional pitcher throwing a bullpen."Since the right-hander’s big-league arrival in mid-2025, “we always expect to watch him go out and do something special," Rice said of Schlittler this year.Mostly, Rice – whose 41-homer season should earn him down-ballot MVP votes - has been struck by “how composed and competitive (Schlittler) is at the same time.“And the stuff is ridiculous."This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Cam Schlittler wins AL Cy Young. Inside Yankees ace's historic season