New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles: Cam Schlittler vs. Shane Baz

Apr 17, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) walks off the field after being relieved during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images It’s been an emotional day for the Yankees and their fans, with the loss of legendary radio announcer John Sterling . Expect plenty of heartfelt tributes for the longtime voice of the club during the game today, as the Yanks send a starting lineup out with only one player who was born before Sterling took over the radio booth — and said Yankee is only in there because of an injury.

Cam Schlittler gets the ball, looking to continue the early run that’s put him atop of most statistical categories in the game. The 25-year-old is is top five across all MLB in fWAR, ERA, FIP, strikeout rate, walk rate, and home run rate. It’s hard to pitch badly if you strike everyone out and never let the ball leave the park.

Eventually a few fly balls will get over the wall, but everything else Cam is doing seems to be broadly sustainable. With a chance to deliver a four-game sweep, I expect the kid building a reputation for being a big-game pitcher to have a big game. Shane Baz goes for Baltimore, acquired in a deal with Tampa that hasn’t exactly started the way you’d want.

A 4. 50 ERA and the lowest strikeout rate of his young career don’t make you all that excited, but his FIP is three-fourths of a run lower than that ERA, so he may be do for a couple solid outings. This will be his seventh career start against the Yankees, who have touched him to a 6.