Cam Schlittler, 100 MPH Pitchers Make Postseason History

Plus: Ethan Salas won't play in the Arizona Fall League after all.

Author

Mark Chiarelli
October 03, 2025

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Cam Schlittler, RHP, Yankees: Schlittler made history in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series versus the Red Sox. The 24-year-old rookie righthander fired eight shutout innings with 12 strikeouts and no walks. No pitcher had ever gone eight with 12 or more strikeouts and no walks in postseason history, according to ESPN. The Yankees won the game 4-0 and advanced to the AL Division Series versus the Blue Jays.

Schlittler dominated Boston hitters using predominantly fastballs. He threw 11 curveballs, but it was the excellence of his three fastballs shapes that carried the day. Ninety-six of his 107 pitches were either four-seam fastball, sinker or cutter. His four-seamer topped out at 100.8 mph with plus ride and generated 11 whiffs on 26 swings.

Schlittler's fastball is the pitch he leaned on to record a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts for the Yankees this season. He averaged 98 mph in MLB this season with a 27.6% strikeout rate. His velocity progression is notable. Drafted out of Northeastern in the seventh round in 2022, Schlittler sat 90-91 mph at that time. That figure didn't budge in 2023 and climbed to 93.6 mph in 2024, though he began reaching 97 on the high end that season.

Remarkably, this was Schlittlers draft report coming out of college in 2022:

After posting a 1.88 ERA for Northeastern in 2021, Schlittler came into 2022 with big expectations. Instead, he was solid rather than taking another step forward, finishing with a 3.44 ER, 85 strikeouts and 32 walks in 91.2 innings. With long arm action leading into a high three-quarters slot, Schlittler is a solid strike-thrower who pitches off a fastball that sits at 89-93 mph and touches 95. There's enough physical projection left in his 6-foot-6 frame that there could be more velocity in the tank as he gets stronger. There's nothing plus in the four-pitch mix from Schlttler, whose go-to secondary pitch is his slider. He throws it in the low-to-mid-80s with short break, a fringe-average pitch that helps him get swing-and-miss in the college level. He also throws a below-average changeup that comes in firm off his fastball, along with a fringe-average curveball in the upper-70s.

Now, he looks like a completely different pitcher. Schlittler jumped to 98 mph with a peak of 101. That turned him into a rookie sensation and now a postseason star, helping usher in an era of postseason starters hitting 100+ mph that we’ve never seen before. You can dive deep into Schlittler’s rise this season here.

Connelly Early, LHP, Red Sox: Early held the Yankees scoreless for three innings in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series before things began to unravel. He allowed a Cody Bellinger double to lead off the fourth inning, followed by a Giancarlo Stanton walk. One Ben Rice strikeout later, Early surrendered a 108 mph single to left field from Amed Rosario, scoring Bellinger. Singles by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe followed, resulting in a run. An error by first baseman Nathaniel Lowe allowed Rosario and Chisholm to score, and the Yankees took a 4-0 led.

Early lasted 3.2 innings, allowing six hits and four runs (three earned) to go with six strikeouts and one walk. The hits he allowed to Rosario and Chisholm were well struck, but the Bellinger double and Volpe single just happened to find holes. The 23-year-old Early showed a lot of promise this season as he rose from Double-A to Triple-A to make four starts for Boston, four starts in which he struck out 29 batters in 19.1 innings.

Salas’ Removal Among Several Fall League Roster Tweaks

Less than a week from Opening Day, the Arizona Fall League has altered its rosters. This is common practice and will likely happen several more times before the six-week season concludes in November.

Among the notable changes was the removal of Padres catcher Ethan Salas, who played just 10 games this season due to a back injury. He was replaced by another San Diego catcher, Lamar King Jr. The team also swapped in righthander Kannon Kemp for fellow righty Isaiah Lowe.

Those were far from the only shakeups on the league's six rosters.

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