Have The Yankees Found Their Next Cam Schlittler?
- Domenick Noto
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Few regions underscore the importance of scouting more than the Northeast. Thanks in large part to having a harsher climate than the typical baseball hotbeds, most players in the Northeast receive much less attention from scouts. Outside of this geographic disadvantage, most notable programs (College and Prep) reside in the southern half of the continental United States, leaving Northeast prospects to compete against competition that is usually written off as inferior. For the teams willing to really look, this situation has caused the Northeast to become a source of opportunity. The Yankees are no exception; their recent successes in the draft would not be possible without their presence in the Northeast. At the center of that success has been Northeast area scout Matt Hyde.
All Yankees draft picks from the Northeast since 2020:
’22 Cam Schlittler (7th)
’21 Ben Rice (12th)
’22 Sebastian Keane (18th)
’21 Bailey Dees (18th)
I think this group (though small) speaks volumes about Hyde’s track record as an evaluator. Even Hyde’s “misses”, Dees and Keane, made it to the upper minors despite being 18th round picks. Both pitchers have competed at a high level, posting sub-4 ERAs in the upper minor leagues. Ironically, Dees and Keane were released within a month of each other. Though they did not make it here, I hope to see them both land on their feet in new organizations soon.
The successes here are enormous with Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler, who seem to be fixtures in the next era of Yankees baseball. Whether you noticed it or not, Matt Hyde’s fingerprints are all over the identity of the 2026 Yankees. Yet, since drafting Schlittler in 2022, the Yankees have not tapped into Hyde’s locale. That changed in the 2026 Draft when they doubled up on Northeast pitchers in the later rounds.
RHP Jason Krieger (17th Round)
Though fellow Hyde draftee David Leslie (9th round) seems to be an interesting guy to watch, it has been the later selection that has fascinated me: 17th round pick Jason Krieger out of Maine. Other than the fact that he’s a Matt Hyde selection, what ultimately convinced me he was worth writing about were the freaky similarities he shares with Cam Schlittler. Before getting into that lofty comparison, it's worth looking at Krieger's own résumé.
Performance
Despite being listed as a senior on MLB's draft tracker, Krieger has only played two seasons of college ball, logging just over 150 innings across them. In 2024, Krieger made All-Conference Rookie team after leading Maine in ERA and strikeouts. He then missed the entire 2025 campaign following Tommy John surgery. He got off to rocky start in 2026, posting a 7.24 ERA through his first six starts, but the way he ended his season is much more pertinent to how he should be evaluated. Krieger rebounded in a big way with a 3.04 ERA over his final nine outings. He carried that momentum into the Cape Cod League, where he sported a near-spotless 0.59 ERA with 1 BB and 16Ks across 15.1 innings. More important was the progression of his stuff as the season wore on.
Krieger's fastball sat below 92 mph in his first start of the year before peaking at 97 mph in his final outing. He also induced softer contact as well, with a higher groundball rate (+8.8%) and lower barrel rate (-11.9%).
Mechanics and Development
The first thing that stood out to me was the way Krieger moves on the mound. At 6-foot-5, he's physically imposing, yet his delivery is remarkably deliberate almost lackadaisical suggesting there could be untapped velocity. Even with a relatively upright and stiff move downhill, he can already generate easy mid-90s velocity. Though this could be due to his past arm injury, I imagine the Yankees would take the training wheels off next season with Krieger nearly two years removed from TJS at that point.
Mechanically, he shares many similarities with Cam Schlittler, though there are some key differences that could become developmental opportunities. Schlittler generates exceptional extension by getting far down the mound before release, while Krieger's delivery as I noted above is more relaxed. Getting him further downhill should allow him to add natural extension, allowing for his velocity to play up. The Yankees might also choose to improve his lower-body usage to take advantage of his larger frame and potentially unlock more velocity.
Like Schlittler, Krieger features a tri-force fastball with a four-seamer, sinker, and cutter, though the sinker is currently the best of the three. He also features a splitter that generates some ugly whiffs, and a curveball that he uses to less effectiveness. If the Yankees can help him fully harness all three fastball variations, Krieger could realistically feature four legitimate weapons at the next level. Ideally, I’d like to see Krieger add an offering with more movement to his glove-side, like a slider or sweeper. I would also anticipate the Yankees pitching lab to play around with his pitch grips to optimize his pitch shapes.
In college, Krieger has thrived on generating weak contact. If the Yankees decide to ditch the three-fastball approach, Clay Holmes feels like a good example for what he could be. Though a lot more grounded than my original Schlittler comp, Krieger’s sinker is more Holmes-esque, with soft contact to boot.
Whichever way the Yankees choose to develop Krieger, he will have his work cut out for him. No matter the route taken, he’s likely to look much different as a pro. Krieger might be a ball of clay, but he’s a damn good one. His size, limited college innings and improving stuff, along with the Matt Hyde stamp of approval, are all part of the Yankees pitching development blueprint. Though it may be unfair, I have high expectations for the Yankees 17th rounder, and you should too.
Every Prospect. Every Level. Every Day.
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