What happened: Chris Sale placed second, followed by Cristopher Sánchez, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Cam Schlittler. MLB.com’s separate panel put Schlittler second and Sánchez fifth Thursday.
Why it matters: Four of the five pitch in the National League, sharpening a crowded Cy Young race. Their September starts will help separate candidates with elite run prevention and strikeout totals.
By the numbers: The five have combined for 27.0 Baseball-Reference pitching WAR in 2026: Sánchez 7.0, Misiorowski 5.5, Schlittler 5.5, Sale 4.6 and Yamamoto 4.4.
What to watch: Sale’s follow-up to his complete-game shutout and Misiorowski’s next start are the immediate checkpoints.