Leave it to Big Papi to turn a postgame breakdown into late-night comedy.
During the postgame show following the Yankees’ 9–6 comeback win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the ALDS, former Red Sox legend David Ortiz raised eyebrows and a few chuckles when asked how to pronounce Yankees rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler’s name. With his signature grin, Ortiz quipped, “It sounds like Hitler.”
The moment sparked an immediate mix of laughter and awkward glances from co-panelists Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, as social media quickly lit up over the ill-timed joke. While Ortiz is no stranger to playful banter, even A-Rod couldn’t quite mask his disbelief at the comment.
For context, Schlittler hasn’t yet pitched in this series, but he’s already a major postseason storyline. The 22-year-old right-hander delivered one of the most dominant pitching performances in recent Yankees history during Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series against Ortiz’s beloved Red Sox on October 2. In that outing, Schlittler threw eight scoreless innings, striking out 12 batters without a single walk and giving up just five hits.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Schlittler became the first pitcher ever to record at least eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts and no walks in a postseason game. He also broke a 44-year-old franchise record for most strikeouts by a Yankees pitcher in their playoff debut, previously held by Dave Righetti.
The rookie’s next test comes Wednesday, October 8, when he’s slated to take the mound in Game 4 against Toronto — giving him the perfect opportunity to let his arm do the talking. And as for Ortiz? Let’s just say his mouth may have written a check even Big Papi’s charm can’t quite cash.