Two first-time All-Star pitchers. Two Cy Young-worthy seasons. That’s certainly a tough choice, but Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker got to work before the final game of the first half. He drew a cat in a top hat, some oysters, and a pitching mound on the whiteboard, and at the bottom, he wrote Dylan Cease’s name. Finally, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider revealed Cease as the AL starter for the Midsummer Classic. Most likely the decision would have caused some ire had the Yankees’ star not already decided to back out anyway.

“John Schneider says he would have started Dylan Cease over Cam Schlittler in the All-Star Game no matter what, per @MitchBannon,” Talkin’ Baseball wrote on X.

Since the Blue Jays represented the American League in the World Series last year, Schneider earned the role of the AL manager in the 2026 All-Star Game, and he did not hesitate to put his favorite, Dylan Cease, ahead.

“Whenever a guy’s leading the league in strikeouts in an era like this (and) you’ve got really good stuff, you’re a very good representative of the American League,” Schneider said. “So I came to that conclusion.”

Cease is set to become just the fourth Blue Jays pitcher to earn the All-Star Game starting nod, following Dave Stieb (1983, 1984), David Wells (2000), and Roy Halladay (2009). The 46-year-old didn’t make his final decision until Saturday night, ultimately choosing Cease over the American League’s other All-Star starters, including the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler.

The 30-year-old has emerged as one of the key contributors for the Blue Jays this season. Toronto signed the right-hander this offseason to a 7-year, $210 million deal. Cease did not disappoint the Blue Jays as he holds a 2.56 ERA with a 6-4 record across 17 starts this season. In 98.1 innings he threw, opposing batters managed to hit only .190 so far this season. Additionally, he is second in the league with 148 strikeouts, as per ESPN.

He last pitched on July 8 against the San Francisco Giants, keeping them scoreless in 8 innings with 11 strikeouts. Cease is fully rested and no doubt a great choice for starting the All-Star Game.

But so was Cam Schlittler, even posting better numbers in some cases.

The Yankees’ star has quickly established himself as one of the major rotation pieces. Anchoring the Yankees’ pitching amid multiple injuries, Schlittler holds a 9-5 record with a 2.05 ERA. In the 118.2 innings he pitched, Schlittler has not let opposing hitters get past him much. He has allowed just 27 earned runs in 20 starts while striking out 137 this season.

Despite his dominant performance, Schlittler found himself facing Schneider’s snub ahead of the All-Star Game. But what could have sparked tension within the team was smoothed over by Schlitter’s decision.

Cam Schlittler will not pitch in the Midsummer Classic

Cam Schlittler receiving the All-Star badge this year was certainly not a surprise, given the season he is having. He was also the perfect candidate to start on the mound for the American League. Despite not being in top form, the 25-year-old allowed only 2 runs on 4 hits during the Yankees’ 4-2 win against the Washington Nationals. Even during a rough start, Schlittler struck out 6, delivering an ace-worthy performance. So, his decision to back out of pitching came as a surprise.

Schlittler was asked whether he knew about Schneider’s decision to go with Dylan Cease before or after he decided not to pitch on Tuesday.

According to YES Network on X, Schlittler said, “I found that out after. I walked in today, and I had a conversation with Boone. I think he was confident that I wanted to throw in it, and that kind of was the game plan. But I just kind of leaned away from it.”

Congratulating Cease on his year and the honor he received, Schlittler confirmed that his decision was made independently.

Schlittler also explained that his decision was based on prioritizing his team, the Yankees. He does not want to risk any injury with Max Fried and Carlos Rodon already on the IL.

Schlittler has already thrown 118.2 innings this season, and careful is the mantra the Yankees are following with Schlittler, as they keep their postseason hopes alive.