Being in the Cy Young conversation is basically an annual tradition for Chris Sale. The Atlanta Braves' ace is well on his way to becoming a Cy Young finalist yet again in 2026, as he continues to post dominant outings. Through 19 starts this season, Sale has a 2.19 ERA, 2.60 FIP, and 3.5 fWAR.
Sale isn't quite on the same pace as his 2024 NL Cy Young season, but with each impressive start, he showcases why he will remain in award consideration for the foreseeable future. The 37-year-old's bid for a second career Cy Young award is strong, but Sale's National League competition for this award may prove too steep to overcome.
Chris Sale strikes out the side in the sixth!
— MLB (@MLB) July 23, 2026
He is up to 11 Ks on the day 😤 pic.twitter.com/0gNGVsPhqj
Chris Sale is having a Cy Young type season, but other NL pitchers could be too far ahead
Looking at the top NL Cy Young contenders this season, three pitchers have really solidified themselves above the rest. The good news is that Atlanta's ace is one of those three pitchers; the bad news is that Sale probably ranks third amongst the group at the moment.
As things stand, Brewers young phenom Jacob Misiorowski, or Miz as he's been nicknamed, has to be the Cy Young favorite. The 24-year-old flamethrower burst on the scene last season, but this year Miz has taken his game to another level.
Misiorowski is averaging an absurd 100.5 mph on his fastball in 2026, and his out-of-this-world 39.4% strikeout rate is nearly 10% higher than the man who ranks second in the National League in K%, that being Chris Sale at 29.7%. Miz also leads the NL in fWAR (4.6) and two of the three triple crown categories. Misiorowski ranks first in traditional stats like ERA, strikeouts, and WHIP, and he ranks first in some of the underlying metrics like xERA, xFIP, and SIERA.
Even if Misiorowski were to have a steep second-half decline, Sale has to contend with another NL East ace. Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies ranks second in the NL in xFIP (2.59), innings pitched (132.2), and fWAR (4.2). The 29-year-old lefty partners with Zack Wheeler to form a nasty duo atop the Phillies' rotation, and Sanchez seems to get better every year.
We love Chris Sale and everything he is about, but there is no denying he is up against some stiff competition for NL Cy Young this year. Sale could put some pressure on Misiorowski and Sanchez with a stellar last couple of months, but it's likely he will also need a couple of meltdown outings from Miz and Sanchez to fully close the gap.
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