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- May 21, 2026
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NL Cy Young Rankings 2026: Where Does Pirates' Paul Skenes Land in Competitive Race? originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Since a brutal Opening Day start that saw him fail to escape the first inning, Paul Skenes has rediscovered his dominant form. The Pirates ace has not allowed more than one earned run in seven of his last nine starts, and he leads the league with a career-low 0.71 WHIP.
Skenes has firmly re-entered the Cy Young conversation, proving that his Opening Day stumble was nothing more than a fluke. If the 23-year-old is able to maintain this level of excellence, he very well could become the first back-to-back winner in the National League since Jacob deGrom accomplished the feat in 2018 and 2019.
Which pitchers could block Skenes' path to another Cy Young Award? Here's where Skenes lands in the current NL Cy Young rankings as June approaches.
NL Cy Young rankings 2026
(All stats current as of May 23)
1. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
While Skenes has been stellar, Ohtani is the leader on this list. Through eight starts, the Dodgers star has posted a stunning 0.73 ERA, allowing four total earned runs across 49 innings.
In his most recent start against the Padres, he allowed three hits and no runs with four strikeouts in five innings of work — and that was just a decent performance for Ohtani. If he keeps this up, Ohtani could be on track to earn Cy Young and MVP honors. The big question is whether he can continue to handle being a leadoff hitter and starting pitcher for the entire season.
2. Paul Skenes, Pirates
Skenes' incredible streak of 39 innings without a walk ended during a rough outing against the Phillies on May 17. Even after being tagged for five earned runs in that game, his ERA is only 2.62, giving him a chance to finish with a sub-2.00 ERA for the third consecutive year.
While his strikeout numbers weren't exceptional to start the season, he has struck out at least seven batters in each of his last five starts. He has also limited opponents to a .161 batting average, easily the lowest mark of his career.
3. Cristopher Sanchez, Phillies
Sanchez was untouchable against the Pirates last weekend, pitching a shutout while striking out 13 batters with no walks. The left-hander is now 5-2 this season with a career-low 1.62 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings.
Sanchez has been absolutely dominant with 30 strikeouts and one walk in his last 24 innings. Oh, and he hasn't allowed a run since April 30.
4. Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers
The Brewers flamethrower leads the league with 88 strikeouts, and after his last start against the Cubs, his ERA dropped down to 1.89. Misiorowski is the hardest-throwing starter in the league — and perhaps the hardest-throwing starter of all time — with an average fastball velocity of 99.6 mph.
Good luck trying to keep up with his four-seamer:
5. Mason Miller, Padres
Miller, who is leading the NL with 15 saves, is looking to become the first reliever to win the Cy Young Award since Eric Gagne in 2003. It will be an uphill climb for San Diego's closer, but he deserves consideration.
In order to keep his name in the discussion, Miller would likely need to lead the entire league in saves without blowing any opportunities. When Gagne won the award, he was famously 55-for-55 in save chances.
If Miller can increase his save total with his electric fastball and slider, he may be able to move up this list.
Honorable mention: Chris Sale, Braves
At 37 years old, Sale is somehow enjoying his best season in Atlanta with a 1.89 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. The 2024 Cy Young Award winner has allowed more than two earned runs in only one start. He has two losses in May so far, but the Braves scored just one run in those two games.
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