PHILADELPHIA -- President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said last month that he plans to keep the Phillies’ greatest strength -- their starting rotation -- intact, while he works this offseason to upgrade other parts of the roster.
Cristopher Sánchez is one of the key cogs in the rotation’s success.
He learned on Monday that he is a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award. Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is considered a lock to win, but Sánchez and Atlanta ace Chris Sale are the other two finalists.
Sánchez is one of three Phillies who are finalists for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s annual awards. Other finalists are closer Jhoan Duran (NL Reliever of the Year) and Don Mattingly (NL Manager of the Year).
Sánchez went 18-7 with a 2.91 ERA in 33 starts. He tied for the MLB lead in wins and led all pitchers in bWAR (8.1). He had a 50 2/3-innings scoreless streak from late April to early June, which is the longest in Phillies history -- and the fifth-longest single-season streak since 1893 (when the mound moved to its current distance).
It’s also the longest by any left-handed pitcher.
Sánchez finished second for the NL Cy Young Award in 2025. He finished 10th in ’24.
Misiorowski went 16-5 with a 1.80 and 6.5 bWAR. Sale went 14-9 with a 2.16 ERA and 5.5 bWAR.
Duran (2-6, 1.82 ERA, 33 saves, 3.4 bWAR) is a finalist with San Diego’s Mason Miller (5-2, 1.67 ERA, 38 saves, 3.1 bWAR) and Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill (3-3, 2.63 ERA, 30 saves, 1.8 bWAR).
Miller is probably the favorite.
Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy and Atlanta’s Walt Weiss are NL Manager of the Year finalists alongside Mattingly. Murphy is the favorite to win a third consecutive Manager of the Year Award.
Mattingly made his case, replacing former manager Rob Thomson on April 28, when the Phillies were 9-19. The Phillies finished with the fourth-best record in baseball the rest of the season.
BBWAA voters submit their ballots before the beginning of the postseason, so Milwaukee’s postseason success will have no bearing on any results.