Three Cy Young contenders pitch tonight. All of them bring unique heat

Three elite aces from three top playoff contenders take the mound Wednesday night -- Jacob Misiorowski, Cam Schlittler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto -- and we want to show you something they have in common.

Misiorowski, Schlittler and Yamamoto have three of the best fastballs in the Majors. They're all top five in terms of runs prevented.

Most valuable 4-seam fastballs in 2026

1-T. Misiorowski: +25 runs prevented
1-T. Parker Messick: +25 runs prevented
3. Schlittler: +18 runs prevented
4. Yamamoto: +16 runs prevented

We think that's interesting, because their heaters are also pretty different from one another. Tune in to watch them tonight, and you'll see.

Misiorowski: Brewers vs. Cubs (7:40 p.m. ET, MLB Network Showcase / MLB.TV)
Schlittler: Yankees vs. Angels (9:38 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
Yamamoto: Dodgers vs. Cardinals (10:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Dylan Cease is another Cy Young contender who's taking the mound tonight (against Cleveland at 6:40 p.m.), and though he also possesses an excellent four-seamer (+9 runs prevented, tied for 24th in the Majors), it's not among that best of the best of the best we're analyzing in this story.

Misiorowski simply throws straight gas. His fastball is probably the most talked-about pitch in baseball this year.

Miz is averaging 100.6 mph, the fastest of any starting pitcher in 2026. He's topped out at 105.5 mph; only Aroldis Chapman has thrown a pitch faster since pitch tracking began in 2008. He's reached triple digits almost 1,000 times this year, by far the most of anyone in a season in the pitch-tracking era. So it follows that he's throwing his four-seamer more than any other regular starter.

Schlittler throws gas, too -- his four-seamer sits at 98.0 mph -- but he doesn't dominate with just that one pitch. He's the AL Cy Young favorite because he pairs his four-seamer with two other elite fastballs, a sinker and cutter, that also come in hot but move very differently.

Schlittler throws his four-seamer 44% of the time, his sinker 20% of the time and his cutter 26% of the time. Together, that means 90% of his total pitches are fastballs in one form or another. No starter throws more heat, not even Misiorowski.

Yamamoto doesn't have the raw velo of Miz and Schlittler, but he has impeccable command and can locate his fastball with the best of them. He averages "only" 96 mph on his four-seamer, but opponents are batting just .133 against it -- the lowest among all pitchers with at least 100 plate appearances ending on four-seamers.

Yamamoto knows how to mix and match his heater with wipeout offerings like his splitter and curveball. That's why his fastball can be so effective right alongside his fellow Cy Young contenders who throw harder than him.

And tonight there's a rare opportunity to watch all three of them in action.