Yankees' Cam Schlittler has 7.4-degree change to thank for hot start to 2026 MLB season
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Yankees' Cam Schlittler has 7.4-degree change to thank for hot start to 2026 MLB season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The New York Yankees' ceiling has raised considerably thanks to the early dominance of Cam Schlittler.
What does Schlittler himself have to thank for the improvement? It's looking like arm angle might be a key factor.
Last season, when Schlittler threw his four-seam fastball, his arm was releasing the heater at about 41 degrees.
Now, he's at 48 degrees.
The official rise in arm angle is 7.4 degrees for Schlittler through two starts, according to Baseball Savant.
Looks like Baseball Savant's arm angle data is out for 2026!
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) April 2, 2026
Attached is a screenshot of some notable risers and droppers on four-seam fastballs, along with their new 2026 arm angle. 40° is the MLB average.
What jumps out? pic.twitter.com/8CsNdP9LA0
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There are a lot of reasons this can matter, but the basic premise is that the fastball spins differently depending on the angle from which it is released.
A look at Schlittler's Savant page shows that his 4-seamer has a bit less vertical drop and a bit-more arm-side run than it did last season.
He's also throwing a sinker and a cutter a lot more than he did, which isn't reflected in this specific arm-angle data, but it likely all works together.
Regardless, the Yankees will want Schlittler to keep doing what he's doing. Right now, he's almost unhittable.
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