Jacob Misiorowski and Cam Schlittler may be grabbing the headlines in the Cy Young races, but Washington’s Cade Cavalli has been the steadiest of the three.
The National League picture still runs through Milwaukee’s Misiorowski, whose sophomore season has turned into something special. The 24-year-old has piled up a 1.68 ERA, 216 strikeouts and a 0.759 WHIP, all while bringing the kind of elite velocity that has made him the frontrunner.
Over in the American League, Schlittler remains the favorite, even if Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays is closing the gap. Schlittler has done plenty to keep the Yankees afloat through a season filled with pitching injuries, putting together a 2.16 ERA with 193 strikeouts in 158 innings over 27 starts.
But if the conversation is about consistency, Cavalli has quietly outpaced both.
Against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, he picked up the win after allowing two runs over six innings and striking out seven. That outing gave him his 26th start of the year allowing three runs or fewer, the most in baseball. Misiorowski and Schlittler are tied just behind him at 24.
Cade Cavalli has now allowed three earned runs or fewer in 26 of his 28 starts, the most in Major League Baseball.
- Cade Cavalli - 26
T2. Jacob Misiorowski - 24
T2. Cam Schlittler - 24
- Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) August 25, 2026
Cavalli still doesn’t carry the same name recognition as the two arms ahead of him in the spotlight, but the production is impossible to miss. He owns a 3.21 ERA with 169 strikeouts across 148 2/3 innings, and he’s making a strong case as the Nationals’ unquestioned ace.
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