The National League Cy Young race is crowded, but MLB.com’s latest expert poll has one name still out front: Jacob Misiorowski.
The Brewers right-hander holds the top spot in the newest voting, with Cristopher Sánchez, Chris Sale, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Chase Burns filling out the rest of the top five. It’s a tight group, but Misiorowski has carved out the clearest lane so far.
Misiorowski’s case is built on dominance. The hard-throwing Milwaukee starter has paired elite velocity with the kind of run prevention that separates true award candidates from everyone else.
At one point this season, he led the league in ERA, strikeouts and WHIP, a blunt reminder of how complete his season has been. MLB’s poll reflected that gap, with Misiorowski continuing to hold the lead.
Sánchez has been the strongest threat to catch him. The Phillies left-hander is coming off a 2025 season in which he finished second in NL Cy Young voting, and he’s pushed himself back into the thick of the race with another standout year.
His 50 2/3-inning scoreless streak stands out even in a season full of strong pitching. That run was the fifth-longest single-season streak since 1893 and the longest ever by a left-handed pitcher.
Sale keeps proving age is just a number. At 37, the Braves ace is still missing bats and missing barrels, with a 2.06 ERA that ranks second in the majors and 123 strikeouts that rank seventh in the NL. Sale already won the NL Cy Young Award in 2024, and this season has put him right back in the conversation.
Yamamoto remains a steady force for the Dodgers. Los Angeles has more than one pitcher in the NL picture, but Yamamoto’s consistency and knack for keeping opposing lineups in check have kept him in the mix all season. He has also been among the pitchers drawing votes in MLB.com’s Cy Young polls throughout the year.
Burns rounds out the group as the most intriguing young arm on the list. The Reds right-hander has delivered the kind of early consistency that gets attention fast, going at least five innings in each of his first 15 starts and allowing two runs or fewer in 14 of them. His power and run prevention have made him one of the National League’s most dangerous starters, and Cincinnati’s big investment is already looking justified.
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