Chris Sale Finishes Third in National League Cy Young Balloting

Chris Sale placed third in the National League Cy Young voting, marking his fourth top-three finish since 2012. The Atlanta Braves acquired the left-hander from the Boston Red Sox at the end of 2023, a move that has since yielded consistent elite performance.

Sale’s career statistics have surged since joining Atlanta. He logged just 151 innings between 2020 and 2023, but he has earned All-Star honors in each of his three seasons with the Braves. The pitcher also reached 200 strikeouts for the ninth time in his career during the regular season finale against the Cincinnati Reds.

This milestone places Sale in rare company. He and Randy Johnson are the only left-handed pitchers in Major League Baseball history with at least nine seasons featuring 200 or more strikeouts. Sale’s 2026 season included a 2.16 earned run average, which ranked second in the National League. His 0.98 walks plus hits per inning pitched placed third, while his 200 strikeouts ranked fourth.

Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers won the award in a unanimous vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The 24-year-old right-hander finished his sophomore year with a World Series title after posting a 1.80 ERA and 0.80 WHIP across 174 2/3 innings in 30 starts. Misiorowski struck out 252 hitters during the season.

Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies finished second in the voting. The left-hander recorded 18 wins and seven losses in 33 starts, maintaining a 2.91 ERA. The vote concluded before the postseason began.