With both the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals in the rearview, most sports fans’ attention turns to Major League Baseball. Granted, this summer, we are all treated to the 2026 World Cup, being hosted throughout North America. Nevertheless, baseball plays an integral part in everyone’s calendar this time of year. MVP awards begin to take shape. Cy Young races begin to heat up. And division battles ensue.
We are nearing the halfway mark of the 2026 MLB season, and this season has already been full of surprises.
The Chicago White Sox share a lead in the American League Central. No, that is not a typo. The Athletics are only 1.5 games behind first place out west. Conversely, the New York Mets are in dead last in the National League East. But it isn’t just teams that are surprising, but players as well.
The NL Cy Young race is filled with electric arms and household names. But recently, it has been two unheralded starting pitchers that have begun to separate themselves from the pack: Philadelphia Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski.
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According to NOVIG, there is a 29.8% chance that Sanchez takes home the award. Misiorowski is running a close second with 24.3%, per the prediction market.
So, let’s dive into their case for bringing home the hardware at season’s end.
Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez incredible stretch
Sanchez had a bit of a rollercoaster start to his season. He won two and lost two of his first four decisions. But if you look closer at the analytics, he was pitching very well. That start coincided with Philadelphia scuffling to begin the year.
As the Phillies began turning this around, Sanchez took his game to a new level.
The 6-foot-6 lefty posted one of the most incredible stretches ever seen in MLB history. In the month of May, Sanchez went 5-0, tossing 39 shutout innings while striking out 45 batters. In fact, Sanchez’s shutout streak reached a whopping 50 2/3 innings. It is the fifth longest stretch in MLB history, and the longest ever by a lefty.
If that is not Cy Young worthy, I don’t know what is.
On the season, he is 8-3 with a 1.82 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, racking up 116 punch outs in 99 innings. He has proven that last year’s breakout season was no fluke.
Jacob Misiorowski has overpowering stuff that screams Cy Young
Misiorowski, on the other hand, is an absolute flame-thrower. Hitters rarely have a chance against this 6-foot-7 righty.
The big man out of Missouri consistently throws gas well over 100 miles per hour. During a start earlier this month, Misiorowski threw 14 straight pitches over 100 mph. He set the MLB record for most pitches over that benchmark in a single game with 57.
He has helped propel the Brewers to first place in the National League Central.
For the year, the 24-year-old is 8-2 with a ridiculous 1.34 ERA, even more insane 0.75 WHIP, and 131 strikeouts in just 87 innings pitched.
Last season, he made a name for himself. But many wondered whether that level of velocity would prove impossible to maintain as a regular in the rotation. He has quieted those doubts.
Others alive in Cy Young race
The NL Cy Young race was expected to be a who’s who. And it is, once you get below the two frontrunners.
Shohei Ohtani checks in third in the prediction market at 6.7%. He is closely followed by Chris Sale, Michael King, and Paul Skenes.
Ohtani is having a phenomenal year on the mound. After Wednesday’s game, he improved to 7-2 with a miniscule 1.47 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. Those numbers scream Cy Young. If he continues to pitch at that level for the rest of the season, he may just take home the trophy.
Sale has also been stellar, with a 2.30 ERA and 105 K’s. But he has five losses on his resume already, making it less likely he wins the award at this point. King started out hot, but has since fallen off. You can expect to see his numbers dwindle during the summer heat.
The last pitcher with an actual shot at the Cy Young is Skenes. His numbers (2.85 ERA, 0.93 WHIP) do not put him close to the Sanchez or Misiorowski, but he has the pedigree and name recognition to pull it off with a stellar second half.
The post NL Cy Young odds: Cristopher Sanchez, Jacob Misiorowski pulling away from pack appeared first on ClutchPoints.
