Jacob Misiorowski won the 2026 National League Cy Young Award unanimously, after leading the league in ERA and strikeouts and setting historic marks for overpowering hitters. Cristopher Sánchez finished second: His workload and defensive support make his season look stronger in context, but not enough to overcome Misiorowski’s dominance.

By the Numbers
  • Misiorowski: 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts and a 0.802 WHIP across 174⅔ innings.
  • He received all 30 first-place votes and averaged 100.6 mph on his four-seam fastball.
  • He allowed a .157 opponent batting average, the lowest in MLB history.
  • Sánchez pitched 32⅓ more innings than Misiorowski, while Philadelphia’s defense finished at minus-51 defensive runs saved.
Yes, But

Sánchez had more volume, and his .336 batting average on balls in play reflected both poor luck and a porous Phillies defense. Removing one nine-run outing would lower his ERA from 2.91 to 2.56. Still, Misiorowski’s statistical edge was too large to close.

Bottom Line

Misiorowski’s award-winning case combined historic performance with a compelling rise from raw rookie to the season’s most dominant pitcher. His unanimous win reflected a gap that workload, defensive context and Sánchez’s bad luck could explain—but not erase.