PHILADELPHIA -- Cristopher Sánchez is off to one of the best starts in Major League history.
Yes, even with his rare misstep last time out, the Phillies left-hander -- who faces the Mets on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park -- is putting up numbers rarely seen before at this level.
Through 15 starts, Sánchez has a 1.82 ERA and 116 strikeouts over 99 innings this season. To put that in perspective, here's a list of the only other pitchers in AL/NL history to match Sánchez's ERA, strikeout and innings totals through 15 starts in a season:
- Justin Verlander (2018 Astros)
- Clayton Kershaw (2016 Dodgers)
- Max Scherzer (2015 Nationals)
- Pedro Martínez (2000 Red Sox)
- Randy Johnson (2000 D-backs)
- Pedro Martínez (1997 Expos)
- Dwight Gooden (1985 Mets)
- Steve Carlton (1980 Phillies)
- Sam McDowell (1968 Cleveland)
- Sandy Koufax (1966 Dodgers)
That's, obviously, some pretty good company.
So, in just about any other season, Sánchez would likely be the frontrunner to win his first National League Cy Young Award -- but this isn't any other season.
Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski tossed six innings of two-run ball against the Braves on Friday night, bringing his MLB-leading ERA to 1.45. He has 138 strikeouts over 93 innings through 15 starts this season.
So, Sánchez -- at least for the time being -- finds himself looking up at Misiorowski in this year's NL Cy Young race. This comes after Sánchez finished as the runner-up to Pirates ace Paul Skenes in last year's voting.
Now, Sánchez still has half the season to make up ground on Misiorowski when it comes to the Cy Young Award -- but not when it comes to starting the All-Star Game.
Sánchez is running out of time to prove that he deserves the starting nod for the NL team in front of his hometown fans at the All-Star Game on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park.
"Who doesn’t want to win a Cy Young, right? Who doesn’t want to go to the All-Star Game or start it?” Sánchez said via an interpreter following his last outing. “But at the end of the day, I just try to do my job in the best way possible and control what I can control. Those decisions are out of my control."
As far as who does control the decision for who starts the All-Star Game for the NL, that falls on Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. He will lead the NL All-Stars for the second straight season by virtue of being the reigning pennant-winning skipper.
Sánchez hopes to make that decision at least a little bit tougher over the next few weeks, starting on Saturday night against the Mets. The lefty, though, struggled against the Phillies' archrival last season, posting a 6.08 ERA over three starts against New York.
Sánchez is also coming off his worst start in nearly two months, having allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings against the Brewers on Sunday. Those four runs were more than his previous seven starts combined, during which Sánchez allowed just three runs over 53 innings (0.51 ERA).
“Everything was off, especially my energy,” Sánchez said after that last outing.
The Phillies ace will look to get back on track Saturday night.