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Jacob Misiorowski Receives Major Recognition in Latest NL Cy Young Poll
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- Jacob Misiorowski Receives Major Recognition in Latest NL Cy Young Poll
There is perhaps no better story or more must-watch player in baseball right now than Milwaukee Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski .
The 24-year-old, in his second season, has taken pitching to another level. He dominates on the mound while reaching velocity levels that few starters have ever sustained. "The Miz" is averaging 100.2 mph on his fastball and owns the 12 fastest pitches by a starter this season.
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With his combination of elite velocity and the endurance to work deep into games, Misiorowski is doing things baseball has rarely seen. And his dominant season has become impossible for National League Cy Young voters to ignore.
In MLB .com's latest Cy Young poll , Misiorowski is the runaway favorite to win the award, receiving 29 of 31 first-place votes. He totaled 153 voting points.
The reasoning is obvious. Misiorowski owns an 8-3 record with a 1.45 ERA over 93 innings. He has struck out 138 batters, posted a 0.75 WHIP, and held opponents to a .146 batting average. Every one of those marks except innings leads the majors.
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Better yet, the flame-throwing right-hander has shown no signs of slowing down. From May 1 through June 12, Misiorowski made eight starts and posted a 0.17 ERA. As MLB.com noted, "that's the lowest ERA in an eight-start span (excluding openers) since earned runs became official in 1913."
Misiorowski's closest challenger and the recipient of the other two first-place votes is Philadelphia Phillies star Cristopher Sanchez . Sanchez led the previous poll a month ago. It's not that he has pitched worse; Misiorowski has simply been nearly unhittable.
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Sanchez ranks right behind him with a 1.80 ERA and 121 strikeouts while throwing 12 more innings, 105 in total. He finished runner-up to Paul Skenes in last year's race and could very well do the same again.
Speaking of Skenes, he ranks third in MLB.com's poll with 55 voting points. After a rough Opening Day outing that might have looked different with better defense, Skenes has found his rhythm. He owns a 2.86 ERA with 107 strikeouts and a 0.93 WHIP over 88 innings. He can never be counted out, but he may need a near-perfect second half to catch either Misiorowski or Sanchez.
Right behind Skenes sits Shohei Ohtani in fourth, while Chase Burns rounds out the top five. Ohtani looked like the Cy Young favorite earlier this season after carrying an ERA below 1.00 for an extended stretch. That number has climbed to 1.47, but he has made his intentions clear: he wants to win a Cy Young Award. With plenty of season remaining, few would bet against him.
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Burns, much like Misiorowski, has shined in his second big league season. He owns a 9-1 record with a 2.00 ERA over 85.2 innings and 102 strikeouts. In almost any other year, the flamethrowing right-hander would receive much more attention. That's simply how stacked this race has become.
We're almost at the halfway point of the season, which means the race is far from over. Can Misiorowski maintain this velocity and dominance for another three months? Can Sanchez find another gear? Can Ohtani put together another dominant stretch and force his way back into the conversation?
Those questions are impossible to answer today. One thing, however, is certain: this is shaping up to be one heck of a National League Cy Young race.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
