David Ortiz Gives Cam Schlittler 'Ace' Label After Wild Card Gem, 'He's Got It'

Cam Schlittler just got some huge praise from David Ortiz ... who shoveled the "ace" label on the Yankees rookie following his incredible game on Thursday night.

Just hours after the New York hurler went eight innings of shutout ball in a do-or-die win over the Red Sox, Ortiz fired off compliment after compliment after compliment on the right-hander.

Big Papi -- who had just gotten off a flight at LAX -- told us he's already seen enough from the flamethrower to dub him a front-of-the-rotation guy.

"He's got it, bro," Ortiz said. "He's got it. He's got it."

"He was abusing us last night."

Schlittler ended the 4-0 win with 12 strikeouts and no walks ... and a little bit of trash talk as well.

But while Ortiz was disappointed with the outcome -- he made it clear he's still optimistic about the Red Sox's future.

He told us they just need to "add some thunder" in free agency ... and he expects to be right back in contention in 2026.

"We are not far away from where we need to be, to be honest with you," he said.