BREAKING: Yankees’ Cam Schlittler Faces Backlash After ChatGPT Error in Statement About Red Sox
It was supposed to be a harmless social media post — a young pitcher paying respect to a rival city. Instead, it turned into one of the most awkward off-field moments of the Yankees’ offseason.
Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler, one of the organization’s rising arms, found himself at the center of online ridicule after fans discovered that a portion of his public statement about the Boston Red Sox had been lifted — word for word — from ChatGPT.
The message, which was posted to his Instagram on Monday, read:
“Boston represents resilience, unity, and the spirit of baseball’s history. The Red Sox have always embodied the heart of the game.”
The problem? The phrasing was identical to a popular AI-generated blurb that had circulated online last month, used by content creators to demonstrate how ChatGPT describes the “soul of Boston baseball.” Within hours, fans pieced it together — and social media exploded.
“Bro asked ChatGPT to write him a love letter to the enemy,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another joked, “Not the Yankees using AI to praise the Red Sox. Fire the PR bot!”
By Tuesday morning, the post had been deleted — but not before screenshots went viral, sparking a wave of memes, fan theories, and commentary from across the league.
“It’s embarrassing, but also kind of perfect for this era,” one AL East scout told The Athletic. “You’ve got players using AI to write captions about rivalry teams. It’s the 2025 baseball version of a blooper reel.”
Sources close to the Yankees’ clubhouse said the situation caught the team off-guard. Schlittler reportedly wanted to make a classy comment after visiting Fenway Park for a charity event — but opted to use AI “for inspiration.” Unfortunately, he copy-pasted the output verbatim.
“He’s a good kid,” said one Yankees staffer. “He just didn’t think anyone would notice. But of course, it’s Red Sox vs Yankees — everyone notices.”
Even some Red Sox players joined in on the fun. A team insider confirmed that several Boston players shared the screenshot in their group chat, adding laughing emojis and mock captions like “Even the Yankees use AI to admit we’re the best.”
Publicly, Schlittler has yet to release an official apology, though sources expect a statement soon — written, this time, “by a human.”
Despite the backlash, insiders believe the controversy will blow over quickly. “If anything,” one PR expert said, “it’s a lesson for every athlete in the social media era: authenticity matters more than perfection. Fans know the difference.”
Still, in a rivalry built on passion, pride, and decades of tension, even one AI slip-up can sting. For the Yankees, it’s another meme-worthy chapter in a rivalry that never sleeps — and for Schlittler, it’s a reminder that sometimes, the smartest move is to just write from the heart.
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