Cy Young Race Heats Up: Max Fried and Shohei Ohtani Among Leading Contenders

The race for the Cy Young award is tightening as the season progresses, with several pitchers emerging as serious contenders. With about one-fifth of the regular season behind us, the league’s top arms are starting to distinguish themselves, setting the stage for a riveting competition. Earlier this week, we explored the MVP races, dominated by Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Now, let’s turn our attention to the Cy Young candidates, a field that has recently become more intriguing.

The landscape shifted dramatically with the announcement that Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery, sidelining him indefinitely. This unfortunate news rules him out of contention for a third consecutive Cy Young award, a feat only accomplished by legends Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux. Meanwhile, defending National League winner Paul Skenes had a rough start to the season, recording just two outs on Opening Day and currently sitting outside the top-20 in fWAR among NL pitchers. The chaotic start to the 2026 Cy Young race has opened the door for several new names to emerge as viable candidates.

Among those names is Max Fried, who is positioned just behind Zack Wheeler in the ranks of active starting pitchers yet to win a Cy Young award. Fried’s closest call came in 2022 when he finished as the runner-up to Sandy Alcantara. Last year, he finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting in his inaugural season with the Yankees, and with Skubal, Garrett Crochet, and Hunter Brown all on the injured list, Fried’s path to contention appears clearer. He has been exceptional, leading MLB in innings pitched and delivering quality starts in six of his eight outings. The 32-year-old lefty utilizes a balanced six-pitch mix to keep hitters off balance, consistently generating weak contact and excelling at run prevention.

Fried isn’t the only standout in the Yankees’ rotation. The competition for accolades among New York starters is fierce, with Will Warren and Ryan Weathers also putting in impressive performances. However, it’s sophomore right-hander Schlittler who is turning heads with his explosive style. Schlittler primarily relies on three fastball variants, including high-velocity four-seamers, sinkers, and cutters. He has shown remarkable effectiveness, leading all pitchers in fWAR with a stellar 1.52 ERA across 47 ⅓ innings, supported by an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 53 strikeouts to just nine walks.

In Toronto, the highest-paid pitcher from the previous free-agent class, Dylan Cease, is navigating a fascinating start to his tenure with the Blue Jays. While he remains a strikeout artist with his four-seam/slider combination, subtle improvements in his game could be the key to claiming his first Cy Young award after strong showings in 2022 and 2024. Cease’s fastball velocity has reached a career-high average of 97.8 mph, and he is now incorporating changeups more effectively, achieving an impressive 59% whiff rate on that pitch. His ground ball rate has also spiked to 50.6%, indicating a solid step forward, even as command issues have limited his efficiency.

For the Angels, Soriano has made waves with a fantastic start, allowing just one earned run across his first six outings. Although a couple of recent shaky performances have nudged his ERA up to 1.74, the right-hander has showcased an improved pitch arsenal under new pitching coach Mike Maddux. His increased four-seam usage has led to a notable uptick in strikeouts, further enhancing his breakout potential.

Rays pitcher Rasmussen is also in the mix, boasting a strong track record of run prevention despite durability concerns. After making his first All-Star game last season, he could solidify his Cy Young candidacy if he maintains a workload closer to 170-180 innings. Meanwhile, the White Sox’s Martin has emerged as a surprise performer with a 1.64 ERA, utilizing a diverse pitch arsenal that keeps hitters guessing. His balanced approach could keep him in contention as the season unfolds.

In Seattle, Hancock, the former No. 6 overall pick, is showing promise as a potential breakout star. He leads the league with a 25.2% K-BB ratio and recently recorded a season-high 14 strikeouts in a game. Though he still has much to prove, his improved velocity and effective sweeper make him a name to watch.

Turning to the Dodgers, Ohtani faced a rare setback in his sixth start, allowing his first home runs of the season in a narrow 2-1 loss to the Astros. Despite the disappointment, Ohtani completed seven innings for the first time this season and continued to impress with eight strikeouts, lowering his WHIP to an MLB-best 0.81. Balancing his responsibilities as a two-way player remains a challenge, but he has been nothing short of sensational on the mound.

Like the Yankees, the Dodgers have multiple pitchers excelling in various statistical categories. Tyler Glasnow boasts the second-lowest WHIP among qualified starters, while Justin Wrobleski holds the lowest ERA. However, Yamamoto stands out as the most likely to sustain a Cy Young-worthy season, given his history of handling heavy workloads.

Despite a rocky start, Skenes remains a contender for the Cy Young, having allowed only three runs across his last five starts. Sanchez, who finished second in the previous year’s voting, continues to put up impressive numbers and remains a formidable competitor in the race. His recent eight-inning scoreless performance against the A’s has propelled him back to the top of the fWAR leaderboard among NL pitchers, proving that he can still be a major factor in the Cy Young discussion.

Lastly, Misiorowski’s electric stuff has been a topic of conversation, particularly after his no-hit innings against Washington. However, consistency in workload and command will be key for him to emerge as a serious Cy Young candidate.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.