Cam Schlittler delivered a dominant performance Sunday, fanning eight in a scoreless outing against the New York Mets. The victory dropped his ERA to 1.95, the lowest in Major League Baseball among qualified starters. Schlittler, 25, has been the ace of a Yankees staff that carried the team through a summer offensive slump.

His manager, Aaron Boone, praised his value, suggesting he might be the AL MVP, though Schlittler demurred from the comparison. Schlittler's 228 strikeouts rank second in the AL, and he leads the league with 184⅔ innings pitched. He has allowed one or zero runs in seven straight starts and 21 of 30 outings this season.

His fastball touched 99.9 mph Sunday. Schlittler is the clear favorite for the Cy Young Award, creating a two-man race with Dylan Cease. The lanky right-hander has emerged as one of the best pitching prospects in franchise history, drawing comparisons to Ron Guidry.