There has been plenty of discussion surrounding the potential winner of the American League MVP Award this season. Until roughly a month ago, there was little debate about Yordan Alvarez as the frontrunner. More recently, Dominican slugger Junior Caminero entered that conversation. But there is another player who deserves serious consideration: Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler, who is putting together a historic season and has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate.

According to Stathead, Schlittler currently owns the highest single-season ERA+ in Yankees history, at 216. That is a significant statistic because ERA+ measures a pitcher's performance relative to the league average while accounting for the offensive environment of his era and ballpark. An ERA+ of 150, for example, indicates a pitcher was roughly 50 percent better than league average. Schlittler's 216 means he has been 116 percent better than his league's average pitcher.

That's more than elite. It's historic.

So it is not unreasonable to suggest that Schlittler has a legitimate chance to enter the American League MVP conversation. Yordan remains the slight favorite, while Caminero has rapidly closed the gap. The reason Schlittler belongs in the discussion is simple: the young right-hander has been so dominant that he is beginning to challenge the usual distinction between pitchers and position players when it comes to overall value.

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Cam Schlittler's MVP case

At this point, Schlittler leads the American League in WAR (7.1), ERA (1.95), WHIP (0.904), ERA+ (216), starts (31) and innings pitched (184.2). He ranks second in wins with 14 and strikeouts with 228. Opposing hitters are batting just .185/.241/.303 against him, good for a .544 OPS, and he has allowed one run or fewer in 21 of his starts, a Yankees record, according to Baseball Reference.

This isn't simply a strong Cy Young season. It is shaping up as a historically dominant campaign.

His most recent start only reinforced that point. On Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Mets, Schlittler tossed six scoreless innings, allowed one hit and struck out eight. Just as importantly, he continues to show the durability and consistency that have defined his season, with his velocity and command holding up deep into the year.

At 25 years old, Schlittler has established himself as one of the best pitchers in MLB.

What about Yordan Alvarez and Junior Caminero?

This is where Schlittler's MVP case becomes more complicated.

Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez is having a tremendous offensive season and still has a chance to finish with a Triple Crown. Just days ago, he was leading the American League in batting average, home runs and RBIs, making him the clear MVP favorite.

His candidacy has cooled slightly since then. Alvarez currently has 38 home runs and 96 RBIs, but he continues to lead the American League in the major slash-line categories, hitting .310/.427/.589 with a 1.016 OPS.

Junior Caminero, meanwhile, has already reached 40 home runs and is leading the American League in that category for the second consecutive season. He has also been the primary offensive force behind the Tampa Bay Rays, who recently clinched a postseason berth. Caminero delivered the walk-off home run that secured Tampa Bay's playoff spot and currently owns a .279/.364/.532 slash line with 22 doubles and 95 RBIs.

While "La Máxima" and "Air Yordan" battle for supremacy among the league's offensive stars, Schlittler can make a compelling case in overall value.

The MVP Award does not necessarily go to the best hitter. It goes to the player deemed most valuable.

If Schlittler finishes the season with something close to a 1.90-2.00 ERA, 200-plus innings, 240-plus strikeouts, a 0.90-0.95 WHIP and more than 7.0 WAR, it would be difficult to argue that he wasn't one of the most valuable players in the entire league.

History also works against him — at least in terms of precedent. A pitcher has not won the American League MVP Award since Justin Verlander in 2011, excluding Shohei Ohtani, who won in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way player.

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Pitchers who have won the American League MVP Award

• Walter Johnson (WSH, 1913 and 1924)
• Lefty Grove (PHA, 1931)
• Spud Chandler (NYY, 1943)
• Hal Newhouser (DET, 1944 and 1945)
• Bobby Shantz (PHA, 1952)
• Denny McLain (DET, 1968)
• Vida Blue (OAK, 1971)
• Rollie Fingers (MIL, 1981)
• Willie Hernández (DET, 1984)
• Roger Clemens (BOS, 1986)
• Dennis Eckersley (OAK, 1992)
• Justin Verlander (DET, 2011)
• Shohei Ohtani (LAA, 2021 and 2023, as a two-way player)

Pitchers have rarely won the American League MVP Award. But Schlittler has a chance to join that exclusive group.

The gap between the Yankees' All-Star right-hander, the Astros' superstar and the Rays' emerging slugger is narrowing by the day.

Schlittler is probably going to win the Cy Young Award. The bigger question is whether his season has been extraordinary enough to elevate him from the "best pitcher" to the "best player in the American League."

That debate is already beginning inside the Yankees' clubhouse.

Manager Aaron Boone has endorsed Schlittler's MVP candidacy, while Aaron Judge believes Schlittler deserves the Cy Young but maintains that the two awards recognize different accomplishments. Their respective comments were shared by SNY Yankees and YES Network.

And then there is Jimmy Randazzo, host of Yankees Pod and a former CBS and MLB Network journalist, who offered an unequivocal take on X:

"Cam Schlittler is the American League MVP."

There is certainly a case to be made for that argument. But with the regular season still not over, it is too early to render a definitive verdict. Alvarez and Caminero remain legitimate contenders, and both will have an opportunity to strengthen their cases during the final weeks of the season.

For now, Schlittler has done enough to make the MVP debate far more interesting than anyone could have expected a month ago.