A month into the 2026 MLB season, the races for the AL and NL Cy Young awards already seem focused on two familiar names: Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes.
That's no surprise, as both are the reigning winners in their respective leagues, with Skubal having won the AL prize the past two seasons. While those remain the favorites in MLB.com's first Cy Young poll of the season, there are plenty of other names making noise for consideration.
A total of 36 different pitchers received at least one vote in the survey of 39 MLB.com experts, with the AL in particular offering a lengthy and stout list of names.
As a reminder, votes are based not only on the results so far, but also on what's expected the rest of the season.
Voters were asked to rank their top five picks in each league. 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. Here are the results.
All stats are through Monday.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Tarik Skubal, Tigers (27 first-place votes)
Again, no surprise here. Skubal is the defending two-time AL Cy Young winner and he's offered no reason to think he won't be the leading contender the rest of the season. Though his early results have merely been good and not elite, he's still a pitcher no team wants to face. Skubal is 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in his first six starts, with 38 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings. Interestingly, that's all very close to his first six starts last season (3-2; 2.34 ERA; 40 K's). He's still the guy to beat in this race.
2. José Soriano, Angels (six first-place votes)
Angels fans are probably wondering what more their guy has to do to be the Cy Young favorite. Soriano has been crazily dominant in the early going, pitching to an MLB-best 5-0 record and 0.24 ERA in his first six starts. He entered Tuesday having allowed just ONE run all season, and he'd allowed more than two hits just twice -- until the White Sox tagged him for three runs on six hits, two of them homers. Still, if Soriano keeps this up, Skubal will become less of a favorite. Perhaps much less.
3. Cam Schlittler, Yankees (three first-place votes)
Schlittler has emerged as a second ace for the Yankees, leading the team with a 1.51 ERA and 49 strikeouts after outdueling Jacob deGrom on Tuesday night. That ERA is second in the AL among qualified pitchers, while his strikeout total is tied for second in MLB. He's allowed one earned run or fewer in five of his seven starts this season, and he's a big reason why New York finds itself in first place.
4. Max Fried, Yankees (two first-place votes)
Fried just keeps doing his thing as the Yankees' main ace. He's 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA in his first seven starts and has averaged nearly seven innings per start, providing reliability and durability for a rotation awaiting the return of the rehabbing Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole. Entering Wednesday, Fried's 47 1/3 innings pitched are easily the most in baseball.
5. Dylan Cease, Blue Jays (one first-place vote)
Cease has given Toronto just what it wanted when it signed him to a seven-year, $210 million free-agent contract in the offseason. He's made six starts and pitched to an excellent 2.87 ERA to go with an AL-best 49 strikeouts (tied with Cam Schlittler and José Soriano). He's allowed two runs or fewer in five of his six starts and has an MLB-best 14.07 K/9 ratio.
Also receiving votes: Garrett Crochet, Red Sox; Jacob deGrom, Rangers; Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays; Logan Gilbert, Mariners; George Kirby, Mariners; Seth Lugo, Royals; Parker Messick, Guardians; Casey Mize, Tigers; Drew Rasmussen, Rays; Joe Ryan, Twins; Michael Wacha, Royals; Will Warren, Yankees; Gavin Williams, Guardians; Bryan Woo, Mariners
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Paul Skenes, Pirates (27 first-place votes)
As with Skubal in the AL, Skenes is still the name to beat in the NL race. He's 4-1 with a 2.48 ERA in six starts for a resurgent Pirates team that has stayed in the thick of things through the first month. And though Skenes hasn't been quite as dominant with strikeouts as we've seen in the past (30 in 29 innings), he's still keeping hitters off base at an elite rate. His 0.72 WHIP would be the second-best mark in baseball if he had enough innings to qualify (he's one short entering Wednesday) and opponents are hitting an MLB-low .141 against him. That's why he's allowed one or no runs in his past five starts.
2. Nolan McLean, Mets (one first-place vote)
Not much has gone right for the Mets so far, but McLean is a definite bright spot. The righty has allowed more than two runs in a game just once this season and his 2.55 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 11.46 K/9 ratio and .161 average against are all tops among NL rookies. But he's not just stood out among rookies. His 45 strikeouts are second-most in the NL among all pitchers, while that 0.85 WHIP is the second-best mark among all qualified NL pitchers.
3. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (five first-place votes)
The one big award Ohtani has yet to capture is the Cy Young, and you would be foolish to ever count him out. He's been impressive in each of his five starts on the mound this season, including Tuesday's against the Marlins. Ohtani has allowed just two earned runs (0.60 ERA) while striking out 34 batters in 30 innings. He's also held opponents to a .160 average and compiled a 0.87 WHIP.
4. Chris Sale, Braves (one first-place vote)
Sale continues to impress and amaze in his late-career renaissance. The 2024 NL Cy Young winner is 5-1 through six starts and his 2.31 ERA ranks sixth-best in the NL among qualified pitchers. The 37-year-old lefty has held opponents to a .185 average and has a 0.91 WHIP to go along with 38 strikeouts in 35 innings. He's pitched at least six innings in five of his six starts and has allowed more than one run just once.
5. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers (two first-place votes)
The 2025 World Series MVP remains a force on the mound. While his strikeouts are down over his first two seasons (7.6 K/9 this year vs. 10.4 in 2024 and '25), he still presents opponents with a tall challenge. He's not allowed more than three earned runs in any start this season (2.87 ERA) and his 37 2/3 innings pitched are the second-most in the NL.
Also receiving votes: Chase Dollander, Rockies; Bryce Elder, Braves (one first-place vote); Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers; Shota Imanaga, Cubs; Michael King, Padres; Mason Miller, Padres (two first-place votes); Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers; Freddy Peralta, Mets; Landen Roupp, Giants; Cristopher Sánchez, Phillies; Justin Wrobleski, Dodgers