New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler is not going anywhere anytime soon. The 25-year-old star has emerged as the team’s top starting pitcher this season. While proven veterans such as Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodon have all spent time on the injured list, Schlittler has undeniably been New York’s best pitcher in 2026.
In addition to being one of the top pitchers in baseball, Schlittler is under team control through 2031. Despite this, the Yankees could soon reward the starter with a long-term contract extension. Spencer Strider, Hunter Greene, and Brayan Bello all previously received deals in pre-arbitration years. The Cincinnati Reds also recently made a similar move with Chase Burns.
Burns received a seven-year, $105 million extension with the Reds in July. The Athletic’s Tim Britton believes that this contract should essentially help lay the groundwork for Schlittler and the New York Yankees. Like Schlittler, Burns is lighting it up in his first full season in Major League Baseball. The Reds star is 14-2 this year with a 2.47 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.
Schlittler, however, has posted even better numbers in 2026. New York’s ace has recorded a 2.19 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a league-leading 5.1 WAR this season. Along with using Burns’ extension as a reference, Britton also points out Tarik Skubal’s arbitration case win in February. The Cy Young winner earned a record $32 million for 2026 alone. With all of this in mind, the reporter claims that Schlittler’s extension with the Yankees should be around seven years, $115 million.
Extension Would Give Cam Schlittler, New York Yankees Assurance
GettyCam Schlittler has proven to be one of the most reliable starters in baseball for the New York Yankees.
Assuming the New York Yankees and Schlittler agree to a seven-year, $115 million extension, it could benefit both sides. While the Yankees have the pitcher under control for a while, getting him at around $16 million per season would be a steal if he continued to develop. For instance, Cole and Rodon currently earn an annual salary of $36 million and $27 million, respectively.
Schlittler would also get some serious financial security from New York in the deal. Although his future arbitration cases are obviously unknown right now, the pitcher is earning just over $800,000 this season. Due to a lack of an extension with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Paul Skenes, despite Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards, is only making $1 million in 2026.
The New York Yankees, however, could be a bit hesitant regarding a Schlittler extension. In a similar situation, the club previously gave Luis Severino a four-year, $40 million deal in 2019. Severino eventually only made 45 appearances for the Yankees after signing the extension because of various injuries.
New York Also has to Sort out Jazz Chisholm’s Future
While the New York Yankees have time to figure out what to do with Schlittler, they have a pressing need to sort out the futures of their pending unrestricted free agents. Trent Grisham, Paul Goldschmidt, and Jazz Chisholm lead this particular list. New York was previously linked with a potential $300 million contract with Chisholm before the current campaign.
Nevertheless, this now seems extremely unlikely. The second baseman is arguably enduring his worst season as an MLB player. According to Britton, Chisholm could take a one-year deal this winter to bet on himself to turn things around in 2027. This is, of course, assuming there is a baseball season next year.
Yankees Star Pitcher Projected to Earn $115 Million Extension