The 2026 National League Cy Young Race: A Flamethrower Leads the Pack

There is only one word that currently describes the Brewers young star Jacob Misiorowski … flamethrower. His historical comparison would be the great Nolan Ryan, who threw with maximum velocity deep into games, which led to 222 career complete games. In 2026, the average velocity of Misiorowski’s 4-seam fastball (99.8 mph) ranks first among qualified starting pitchers. That velocity has allowed him to sustain the best ERA (1.75) in baseball thus far.

In the game of baseball, you need runners on base to score. Against Misiorowski it is almost impossible to do so consistently, which is evident by his league-leading WHIP (0.74). If you aren’t getting on base, then you are most likely striking out when facing “The Miz.” So far this season, he leads the majors in strikeouts (210) and has thrown 10 double-digit strikeout games.

Misiorowski is truly one-of-one when it comes to starting pitchers, and it’s safe to say this won’t be the last Cy Young award race he is a part of.

Pictured: 2022 Bowman Draft Chrome Draft Picks Autographs #CDAJMI Jacob Misiorowski

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After finishing second in Cy Young award voting last season, Cristopher Sanchez has continued to dominate his competition. This season, however, he is on pace to finish with more wins and strikeouts than he did a season ago. Sanchez has pitched the second-most innings (155.2) in the entire MLB this season, only behind 2022 Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara (170.2).

Along with that, he is also striking out batters at a higher rate than ever before … racking up 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. After Tarik Skubal, there isn’t another left-handed starting pitcher better than Sanchez in today’s game.

Sanchez is looking to become the first Philadelphia Phillies player to win the Cy Young award since the late, great Roy Halladay in 2010. With the Phillies in the middle of a competitive NL Wild Card race, they will need Sanchez to continue to win games to keep pace with the rest of the field.

Pictured: 2024 Topps Update Yellow Crackle Foil #US32 Cristopher Sanchez

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The 2024 NL Cy Young and pitching triple crown winner, Chris Sale, continues to confuse and embarrass batters at age 37. He seems to continue to get better with age, and his 37-15 record over the past three seasons confirms that. Sale has the second-best ERA (2.16) in the majors so far this season, only behind the aforementioned Misiorowski.

Sale has been known for one thing his entire career … his wipeout slider. Combine the movement of that pitch with his funky, sidearm delivery, and it becomes virtually unhittable. His slider has the second-lowest hard-hit percentage (16%) out of any other individual pitch in the league. Add that to a repertoire that includes a 96-mph fastball and a nasty changeup, and you get one of the most lethal pitch combinations in the majors.

The veteran lefty is only 261 strikeouts away from 3,000 for his career and has more than likely already punched his ticket to the Baseball Hall of Fame. If he were able to win a second Cy Young award, he would join a group of only 23 other players in history to win two or more and would further cement his place as one of the greatest lefties to ever step foot on the mound.

Pictured: 2011 Topps Chrome #205 Chris Sale RC

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