Yankees’ Cam Schlittler should start the All-Star Game. But will he even pitch?

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As of early Saturday evening, the New York Yankees and Cam Schlittler hadn’t decided whether the right-hander would pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia.

There had been a few talks this week between Schlittler, who would be making his first All-Star appearance, and coaches about the subject. But the 25-year-old with the American League-best 2.05 ERA wanted to see how he felt after his final start of the first half before committing, a team source with knowledge of the conversations told The Athletic. The source was granted anonymity in exchange for candor. More conversations were expected Saturday night.

Schlittler spent the first half of the season proving he deserves a spot on the AL All-Star roster, and he showed why he should start the game when he gave up just two runs over 6 2/3 innings in a 4-2 win over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Saturday afternoon.

“That was huge,” manager Aaron Boone said of Schlittler’s performance.

Cam. Saw. Conquered. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/t9Ezn9S7q7

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 12, 2026

Schlittler overcame giving up solo home runs to James Wood on the first pitch of the game and to Curtis Mead in the first inning. He struck out six, uncharacteristically walked four batters and gave up four hits. He threw 99 pitches.

Before Saturday’s game, Boone said he thought there was a “pretty good chance” Schlittler would pitch Tuesday. The Massachusetts native has shouldered a heavy workload for the Yankees this season, making all 20 of his starts and throwing the second most innings in the AL at 118 2/3.

New York needs him healthy as it awaits the returns of Max Fried (elbow bone bruise) and Carlos Rodón (elbow inflammation), and waits to see if Gerrit Cole can round back into ace-level form after a rocky first half returning from Tommy John surgery.

“I don’t know,” Schlittler said. “Really just haven’t had that conversation. We’ll see what happens in the next day or two, and if I’m comfortable doing that, I’ll do it.”

If AL manager John Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays names Schlittler the starter, that would likely give the second-year pitcher more incentive to take the mound. The last Yankees pitcher to start an All-Star Game was Cole in 2023.

The math does work out for Schlittler to potentially feel good about pitching in the All-Star Game.

Tuesday would be Schlittler’s regular day to throw a bullpen session between starts. He would also still have an extra day’s rest to recover and start the Yankees’ first game of the second half on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium.

Even Blue Jays righty Dylan Cease — Schlittler’s primary competition for the starting job Tuesday — believes the role should be his.

“A lot of it is dependent on if Cam can start,” Cease told reporters Wednesday. “I feel like he’s probably earned it. If he’s not throwing, then I would love to throw my name in the hat. It’s above my pay grade.”

Cease leads the AL with 148 strikeouts, while Schlittler is second at 137. But Cease has only made 17 starts. Boston Red Sox righty Sonny Gray has also had a stellar first half, going 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 17 starts.

But Schneider could be partial to Cease, and he could look to stick it to the Yankees, who have been Toronto’s greatest AL East nemesis in recent years. But with Cease saying that Schlittler has “probably earned” the nod, he would be putting Cease in a potentially bad spot of receiving an honor he doesn’t deserve.

Saturday’s outing may have provided an exclamation point on Schlittler’s case to be the AL starter. The Nationals went into the game slugging .481 versus fastballs — the best in the majors. Schlittler’s whole game relies on three upper-90s fastballs — a four-seamer, a sinker and a cutter.

But Schlittler bounced back from his tough first inning to hold Washington down the rest of the way. He also escaped a bases-loaded spot in the fourth inning, getting Nasim Nuñez to fly out to shortstop to end the threat.

Was it Schlittler’s toughest opponent?

“Tough to say,” Boone said. “Moments in time are always different, and what teams. I will say, just being here and seeing that lineup, seeing what they run out there and preparing for this series, it’s a heavy offense.”

Should it matter? Probably not. Schlittler has more than shown he should get the start for the AL All-Stars.