New York Yankees at Texas Rangers

Aaron Judge’s first impressions of Cam Schlittler were simple: a quiet sort who seemed inclined to keep to himself, attempting to stay out of the way in a busy clubhouse. Over the past several months, the Yankees' captain has learned that there’s much more there. What Judge initially clocked as shyness has revealed itself as intensity, showing up every five days with a trio of fastballs that crackle in the upper 90s. And when Schlittler wanders into trouble, as he did late on Tuesday, that’s when Judge says the right-hander “shows that he’s got ice in his veins.” “He’s just laser-focused,” Judge said after the Yankees’ 3-2 victory over the Rangers at Globe Life Field. “He embraces every opportunity. The times I’ve talked to him, or we have moments on the bus together; he wants to be in the moment. He’s not scared. There’s no fear.” Helping the Yankees to their 10th win in 11 games, Schlittler continued a stellar opening act to his season, outdueling Jacob deGrom while lowering his ERA to a razor-sharp 1.51 through seven starts -- the fourth-best mark in the Majors. Schlittler’s eight strikeouts matched his season high, yet the 25-year-old exited snarling about what he felt could have been better. “He’s a superstar,” said Yanks reliever Fernando Cruz. “What he’s doing is really impressive -- throwing three pitches at one speed, but they’re going different directions. It’s something you don’t see too often in baseball. Right now, he’s one of the best to step on the field.” Schlittler and deGrom were born 13 years apart in different parts of the country, but there are clear parallels: both late-blooming collegiate right-handers who enjoyed immediate success in the New York spotlight.