Cam Schlittler got MVP chants against Boston. His answer pointed to Aaron Judge

Cam Schlittler drew MVP chants at Yankee Stadium on September 29 after pitching 6⅓ scoreless innings in the New York Yankees’ 9–0 playoff win over the Boston Red Sox. His performance against his childhood team prompted a postgame question about the crowd’s praise—and an answer that pointed to Aaron Judge.

“We’ve already got an MVP in this locker room,” Schlittler said in a Talkin’ Yanks interview excerpt reproduced by AS, referring to Judge. “He’s won three of them. … If he were in there this whole season he’d probably have it.” Schlittler’s own assessment was more restrained: “I wouldn’t say I am an MVP.”

Why Yankees fans chanted MVP for Cam Schlittler

The 25-year-old right-hander allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out 10 in the Wild Card Series opener. He supplied the first 6⅓ innings of the shutout; the 9–0 score was the team’s result, rather than a complete-game shutout by Schlittler.

According to WFAN’s Ryan Chichester, the MVP chants began in the middle innings and grew louder in the seventh. Manager Aaron Boone sent Schlittler back out after he had passed 100 pitches in the sixth, and he finished with a career-high 117 pitches.

What Schlittler said about Aaron Judge and the fans

Schlittler’s reference to Judge acknowledged his teammate’s three MVP awards. His suggestion that Judge would probably have won again with a full season was a hypothetical assessment, not a voting result or a prediction issued by award organisers.

In amNewYork’s account, Schlittler explained what the response meant to him: “It’s a good feeling [to hear those MVP chants].” He said it was about “knowing that they trust me and have full confidence in me to get outs. That’s all that matters.”

He also spoke about the importance of October performances to a Yankees career. “It’s very well known that if you want to be a legend, which is obviously the goal, you got to do it in the postseason,” he said, before stressing dominant starts and putting the team in position to win.

MLB’s official postgame interview page is dated September 29 and lists a 92-second video about Schlittler’s game plan and the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium.

Schlittler grew up supporting the Red Sox

The opponent gave the night a personal dimension. Schlittler grew up in Walpole, Massachusetts, roughly 20 miles from Fenway Park, as a devoted Red Sox fan. The Yankees selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, putting his professional career on the other side of the rivalry.

He had already delivered a major postseason performance against Boston. In the deciding third game of their 2025 Wild Card Series, he pitched eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts. That was a separate outing from this September’s opener.

amNewYork reported that the latest start made him the first Yankees pitcher with multiple scoreless postseason outings featuring at least 10 strikeouts. It also put his earned-run average across six career starts against Boston at 0.47.

Friends from home were there to see it. Schlittler said he had not seen them in seven months and called their support special. Most were Red Sox fans, amNewYork reported. Asked about their earlier ribbing, he said: “I think they learned their lesson last year.”

Ben Rice gave the rivalry another Massachusetts connection

Schlittler shared the night with Ben Rice, who went 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double and six runs batted in. One of those homers was an eighth-inning grand slam. Rice came from Cohasset, Massachusetts, but grew up supporting the Yankees.

Boone called their performances “Pretty remarkable,” noting both their Massachusetts ties and their draft positions. Rice was a 12th-round pick in 2021. “For them to go out and have that kind of night together to start this postseason, pretty amazing,” Boone said.

What happened next in the Yankees–Red Sox series

Since the opener covered in NewsJaws’ report on Schlittler and Rice against their hometown team, New York has completed the sweep. AS reported in an October 1 update that the Yankees won Game 2 by 9–2 and advanced to the American League Division Series.

According to that report, New York will face the Tampa Bay Rays, with the series beginning Saturday, October 3. It does not establish when Schlittler will next pitch.