Cy Young poll: New leader in loaded NL race; AL favorite solidifies standing

While the American League Cy Young race has had a clear frontrunner for much of this season, it’s been a different story in the National League.

We’ve now conducted three Cy Young polls this year, and the NL has had a different leader each time. And it’s not for a lack of compelling candidates -- quite the opposite.

As usual, voters were asked to rank their top five picks in each league based not only on what’s happened so far, but what’s expected to happen the rest of the season. Pitchers received vote points on a 5-4-3-2-1 scale -- five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on, with 31 voters participating.

Here are the results. (All stats below are through Monday.)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers (153 total vote points, 29 first-place votes)
While Misiorowski has been wowing all year long with record-setting heat, he’s really taken his Cy Young case to the next level of late. The right-hander posted a 0.17 ERA from May 1 through June 12, culminating with a 15-strikeout, one-hit masterpiece against the Phillies. That’s the lowest ERA in an eight-start span (excluding openers) since earned runs became official in 1913. Overall, he leads MLB in ERA (1.45), strikeouts (138) and WHIP (0.75) and opponents’ batting average (.146).

2. Cristopher Sánchez, Phillies (122 total vote points, 2 first-place votes)
In almost any other season, Sánchez would be running away with the NL Cy Young. He recorded one of the longest scoreless streaks ever (50 2/3 innings) and boasts a 1.80 ERA with 121 strikeouts and only 20 walks over 105 innings on the year. Yet he has slipped to second in our latest poll after leading the previous one, now trailing a surging Misiorowski. It’s a familiar spot for the left-hander, who finished as the NL runner-up behind Paul Skenes in 2025.

3. Paul Skenes, Pirates (55 total vote points)
If Skenes’ performance this season feels like a step back, it’s only because he set such an insanely high bar over his first two years in the Majors. The right-hander may not be the current favorite to repeat as the NL Cy Young winner, but he’s kept himself in contention with a 2.86 ERA, 107 strikeouts and 18 walks over 88 innings.

4. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (54 total vote points)
It’s going to be tough for Ohtani to keep pace with the other aces in this loaded group of NL contenders while he’s also shouldering such a heavy workload as the Dodgers’ starting DH. But we’ve learned to never say never when it comes to the two-way superstar. He’s having the best pitching season of his career, with a 1.47 ERA and 78 strikeouts over 73 2/3 innings spanning 12 starts.

5. Chase Burns, Reds (44 total vote points)
It speaks to the depth of the NL field that a pitcher with Burns’ elite stuff and incredible stats (2.00 ERA, 10.7 K/9) is only on the fringes of the race. The 23-year-old has been one of the most consistent hurlers in the game, throwing at least five innings in all 15 starts and allowing two runs or fewer in 14 of them.

Others receiving votes: Chris Sale, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Zack Wheeler, Mason Miller, Max Meyer, Eduardo Rodriguez, Kyle Harrison

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. Cam Schlittler, Yankees (153 total vote points, 30 first-place votes)
Schlittler’s AL Cy Young bona fides were already well-established before his most recent start against the Reds on June 19, but he put more distance between himself and the rest of the field with his best outing of the season: six scoreless innings, 13 strikeouts and zero walks. The second-year starter, who leads the AL in ERA (1.71) and the Majors in K/BB ratio (6.06), received all but one first-place vote on the AL side of our poll.

2. Dylan Cease, Blue Jays (74 total vote points)
Despite missing time with a strained left hamstring, Cease still leads the AL with 118 strikeouts. He’s struck out more than 36% of the batters he’s faced this season while recording a 2.75 ERA, which is exactly the type of production the Blue Jays had in mind when they signed him to a seven-year, $210 million deal.

3. Drew Rasmussen, Rays (65 total vote points)
After making an inspiring return from his third major elbow surgery to post a 2.76 ERA over 31 starts last season, Rasmussen has looked even better in 2026. He has the AL’s lowest WHIP (0.88) and ranks second among AL qualifiers in ERA (2.62) and K/BB ratio (5.93), trailing only Schlittler in each category.

4. Joe Ryan, Twins (47 total vote points)
Ryan continues to show why he’s going to be so widely coveted if the Twins make him available leading up to the Trade Deadline. The right-hander has notched a 2.40 ERA over his past eight starts, lowering his ERA on the season to 2.99 with 99 strikeouts and 18 walks over 87 1/3 innings.

5. Parker Messick, Guardians (30 total vote points)
Since Messick made his MLB debut on Aug. 20, 2025, only six qualifying pitchers have recorded a lower ERA than the Guardians lefty (2.71). He’s got a 2.70 ERA with 91 K's over 86 2/3 innings this season and leads all rookie hurlers with 2.2 WAR (per FanGraphs).

Others receiving votes: Jacob deGrom (1 first-place vote), Davis Martin, Tarik Skubal, Reid Detmers, Logan Gilbert, Gavin Williams, Bryan Woo, José Soriano, Bryan Baker, Nick Martinez, Ranger Suarez