Josh Hart, fresh off winning the NBA championship, just made a bold Cy Young prediction. The New York Knicks basketball star is very famous right now. He is using his large platform to praise New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler. On Friday night, the 25-year-old Schlittler pitched one of the best games of his career against the Cincinnati Reds. Hart saw this and posted about it right away.

“Schlitty is the Cy Young winner hands down,” wrote Hart on X, following Cam Schlitter’s sixteenth start this season, per NY Post.

During the Yankees’ 5-0 win, Schlittler threw six dominant innings, helping his team shut the Reds out. He gave up only four hits. He also struck out a career-high 13 batters without walking anyone. The Yankees’ relievers Jake Bird, Brent Headrick, and David Bednar threw scoreless innings, helping to hold off the Reds. Whereas Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s solo shot and Ben Rice’s three-run home run in the second inning became the driving forces behind the Yankees’ win.

Schlittler’s 13 strikeouts gave him his first double-digit strikeout game of 2026. As he recorded his eighth win this season, Schlittler’s ERA dropped to 1.71. Currently, one of the best pitchers in MLB, Schlittler, is only second to Jacob Misiorowski (1.45 ERA) in terms of ERA. Schlittler also holds an MLB-best WAR of 3.8. Schlittler is trying to become the first Yankees pitcher to win the Cy Young Award since Gerrit Cole won it in 2023.

The impressive numbers put up by the young Yankees’ pitcher naturally drew Hart’s attention. The NBA star believes Schlittler deserves the most prestigious award for pitching in baseball. Schlittler expressed how grateful he is for such support.

“That’s a good thing to hear. Josh is a great guy,” Schlittler told MLB.com. “Obviously, I talked to him after their first playoff game. I’m pumped for him and the city of New York, just being able to finish that off. It’s great to have that support.”

Josh Hart is riding a high this week after helping his team, the Knicks, win the NBA Championship on June 13. Hart emerged as one of the key contributors in defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the finale. New York has been in celebration mode since the Knicks won their first championship after 1973.

The Knicks’ celebration tour reached its peak at Yankee Stadium when Hart and his MVP teammate, Jalen Brunson, threw ceremonial first pitches against the Chicago White Sox. The Yankees won the series 2-1, after delivering two blowout defeats to the White Sox.

As Schlittler carved his place in franchise history, meanwhile, the starter spoke about consistency.

Cam Schlittler speaks about recording career-high strikeouts

The 25-year-old flame-throwing righty of the Yankees has emerged as the most dominant starter in a rotation composed of Max Fried and Gerrit Cole. That alone speaks his worth. Schlittler proved just how effective he is on Friday, as he shut out the Reds’ lineup.

His 13-strikeout performance made him the youngest Yankees pitcher to record as many strikeouts since Al Downing in 1964. He also became the youngest starter in Yankees’ history to do so without issuing a walk. Schlittler’s previous career-high strikeout sat at 12, the one he set against the Boston Red Sox in October during Wild Card Game 3. After he carved out a place in franchise history, Schlittler kept his focus on winning.

“It’s early. I’ve got a lot to work on. We’ve got some really good pitchers in this clubhouse,” observed Schlittler, per MLB.com. “The most I can do is go out there, stay healthy and consistent, and try to win this team some games.”

If Schlittler continues to keep up with his dominant form, an MLB All-Star nod might come this July.