The NBA and Stanley Cup Finals are wrapped up, which means baseball is finally getting the full attention it deserves. And just in time — the 2026 MLB season is approaching its midpoint, and the storylines are writing themselves in ways nobody predicted at the start of the year.
The Chicago White Sox are tied for first in the AL Central. That’s not a misprint. The Athletics are sitting 1.5 games out of the lead in the West. Meanwhile, the New York Mets are dead last in the NL East. But the biggest surprises aren’t just coming from teams — they’re coming from the pitcher’s mound.
The National League Cy Young race was supposed to be a showcase for established superstars. Instead, it’s being stolen by two pitchers who weren’t on anyone’s preseason radar: Philadelphia Phillies lefty Cristopher Sanchez and Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski.
Sanchez’s historic May
Sanchez started the season with a couple of wins and a couple of losses, but the underlying numbers told a different story. He was dealing — the Phillies just weren’t backing him up. Then the team turned things around, and Sanchez turned into something the game has rarely seen.
Over the month of May, Sanchez went 5-0 with 39 shutout innings and 45 strikeouts. His scoreless streak reached 50 2/3 innings — the fifth-longest in MLB history and the longest ever by a left-handed pitcher. Let that sink in.
On the year, he’s 8-3 with a 1.82 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts across 99 innings. Last season’s breakout was no fluke.
Misiorowski is throwing absolute fire
If Sanchez is precision, Misiorowski is pure destruction. The 6-foot-7 righty from Missouri is pumping fastballs over 100 mph like it’s nothing. In one start earlier this month, he threw 14 consecutive pitches at triple digits and set an MLB record with 57 pitches at 100 mph or above in a single game.
His season numbers are borderline video game material: 8-2, a 1.34 ERA, a 0.75 WHIP, and 131 strikeouts in just 87 innings. He’s been the engine behind Milwaukee’s first-place standing in the NL Central.
After bursting onto the scene last year, there were questions about whether he could sustain that velocity as a starter. He’s answered every one of them.
But don’t count out the big names yet
The prediction market at Novig gives Sanchez a 29.8% chance of taking home the Cy Young, with Misiorowski close behind at 24.3%. But there are still some serious arms lurking in the hunt.
Shohei Ohtani sits third at 6.7%, following a dominant start Wednesday that improved his record to 7-2 with a 1.47 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. Those are Cy Young numbers, full stop. If he maintains this pace, the trophy might still be within reach.
Chris Sale has been strong with a 2.30 ERA and 105 Ks, but five losses already on his resume could hurt his chances. Michael King started hot but has cooled off significantly. Paul Skenes (2.85 ERA, 0.93 WHIP) has the pedigree and name recognition to make a run if he puts together a monster second half.
For now, though, the race belongs to two pitchers who came out of nowhere and refuse to step aside.
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