The chances of New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler becoming the first pitcher-only player to win an MVP since Clayton Kershaw in 2014 were slim heading into Thursday's announcement. However, Schlittler may have received more consideration for the award than some expected. Yordan Alvarez unsurprisingly won the American League MVP Award — doing so in unanimous fashion. Junior Caminero and Bobby Witt Jr. finished second and third in the voting, while Schlittler was fourth, per FOX Sports: MLB.

Schlittler was announced as the AL Cy Young Award winner on Wednesday, an award that he also won in a unanimous manner. As for MVP voting, he received 181 total votes, a mark that narrowly trailed Witt's 188. Schlittler earned eight third place votes and even one second place vote.

In other words, Cam Schlittler was a legitimate contender in the AL MVP conversation. His performance explains why some voters decided to give him MVP attention. The Yankees star pitcher turned in a league leading 1.95 ERA while also recording 239 strikeouts in his 193.2 innings of work. His 7.0 WAR was the best mark among pitchers in the league.

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What made Schlittler's performance even more impressive was the fact that 2026 represented his first full season in the big leagues. He debuted in 2025 and displayed potential across 14 starts, but everything came together for Schlittler in his 33 outings in 2026.

Cam Schlittler is one of the best pitchers in the sport. It would not be surprising to see him earn serious MVP consideration in the future. He's that good on the mound.