2026 Cy Young Finalists: Misiorowski, Schlittler Post Best ERAs

Jacob Misiorowski finished the 2026 season with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts, and on Nov. 3 the BBWAA confirmed him as one of three National League Cy Young finalists, alongside Chris Sale and Cristopher Sanchez. In the American League, Cam Schlittler (1.95 ERA), Dylan Cease and Parker Messick are the three names on the ballot. MLB.com lists both Cy Young Awards to be announced Nov. 11.

2026 Cy Young Odds: Where the Market Stood

No November sportsbook price is confirmed for either award, so the only numbers available are older ones, and they come from search-result summaries rather than pages we could open. Reportedly, Fox Sports listed the NL race in September at Misiorowski -360, Sale +800 and Sanchez +850. In the AL, a Prediction Hunt item reportedly had Schlittler at 86 percent on Kalshi and 88 percent on Polymarket on Sept. 8, and, per a search summary of market coverage, BetMGM pulled its AL market in mid-September with Schlittler at -1400. StatSniper's earlier AL Cy Young board covers the race from earlier in the season.

Treat all of those as unconfirmed history, not current prices. Misiorowski's 1.80 ERA is the lowest of the six finalists, and Schlittler's 1.95 is the lowest in the AL group, which is consistent with those older prices.

NL Cy Young Finalists: Stat Lines

Misiorowski (Brewers): 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts to 44 walks in 174 2/3 innings across 30 starts, 6.6 fWAR, per NBC Sports. That is the best ERA of any finalist in either league.

Sale (Braves): 2.16 ERA, 200 strikeouts to 31 walks in 162 2/3 innings across 27 starts, 5.8 fWAR. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is the best of the finalists with a listed walk total, though his innings total is the lowest of the group.

Sanchez (Phillies): 2.91 ERA, 231 strikeouts in 207 innings across 33 starts, 6.2 fWAR. He worked the most innings of any NL finalist, and by fWAR he sits between the other two, but his ERA is the highest of the group, 0.75 runs above Sale's.

AL Cy Young Finalists: Stat Lines

Schlittler (Yankees): 1.95 ERA, 239 strikeouts to 49 walks in 193 2/3 innings, 6.2 fWAR. He has the AL's best ERA among the three and the most innings.

Cease (Blue Jays): 2.40 ERA, 239 strikeouts to 78 walks in 169 innings. He ties Schlittler in strikeouts but in about 24 2/3 fewer innings, and his 78 walks are the most of any finalist with a listed walk total.

Messick (Guardians): 2.56 ERA, 193 strikeouts to 49 walks in 186 1/3 innings across 32 starts, 4.9 fWAR as a rookie. His walk total matches Schlittler's, but he trails on ERA and strikeouts.

Strikeout Rates Side by Side

Using the strikeout and innings totals above, Misiorowski struck out about 13.0 batters per nine innings, Cease about 12.7, Schlittler about 11.1, Sale about 11.1, Sanchez about 10.0 and Messick about 9.3. Those are StatSniper's own calculations from the listed totals, not official figures. The pattern is useful: the two ERA leaders are not the only dominant strikeout arms, and Cease's strikeout rate is nearly identical to Misiorowski's even though his ERA is 0.60 higher.

Betting Impact: Little Value Left

If the older reported prices (Schlittler -1400, Misiorowski -360) are anywhere near current, there is little value on the favorites. A bettor needs a live sportsbook board or a prediction market to find anything actionable here, and the best case for an upset is a voter pool that weighs workload differently. Sanchez threw 207 innings, 44 more than Sale, but a 2.91 ERA against 2.16 is a large gap to ask voters to overlook.

The practical read: if a book posts a November line and the favorite is still priced like the reported September numbers, there is nothing to gain by chasing the favorite at a worse number. If you see a surprise price on Sale or Cease, check it against the stats above first. Cease's walk rate and Sale's low innings total are the two clearest arguments against each.

What to Watch Next

The order of the week matters for anyone tracking awards markets: Rookies of the Year come first, so any sportsbook or prediction market that posts a Cy Young line ahead of Nov. 11 will be pricing it with the Nov. 9 results already known. Check whether prices move after each reveal, because that is the clearest sign a market is reacting to voters rather than to stats.

The BBWAA reveals the Rookies of the Year on Nov. 9, according to MLB.com, with both Cy Young Awards on Nov. 11. MLB.com's full finalists list covers every award. For the rest of the awards cycle, see StatSniper's Manager of the Year tracker and the AL MVP finalists breakdown. The AI sports picks hub and the MLB daily picks page update as boards open, and Chad AI tracks every MLB awards and props market inside the app. You can also find more at the Chad hub.

FAQ

Who are the 2026 NL Cy Young finalists? Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers), Chris Sale (Braves) and Cristopher Sanchez (Phillies).

Who are the 2026 AL Cy Young finalists? Dylan Cease (Blue Jays), Parker Messick (Guardians) and Cam Schlittler (Yankees).

When are the Cy Young Awards announced? MLB.com lists both Cy Young Awards to be announced Nov. 11.

Who has the best ERA among the finalists? Misiorowski at 1.80, followed by Schlittler at 1.95 and Sale at 2.16.

---

*21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Stat Sniper provides data and projections for informational purposes; you are responsible for your own wagers.*