usatoday
The top pitchers in Major League Baseball will be honored on Wednesday evening when the 2026 Cy Young Award recipients and the inaugural Reliever of the Year winners are announced on MLB Network.
In the American League, New York Yankees second-year right-hander Cam Schlittler has emerged as the clear frontrunner after a standout campaign in which he paced the league in both ERA and WHIP. The other AL finalists are Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays and Parker Messick of the Cleveland Guardians.
On the National League side, Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski leads the group, which also includes Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies and former Cy Young winner Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves.
The evening will also mark a historic first: the Baseball Writers' Association of America will present its first officially voted Reliever of the Year Awards. The AL finalists are Bryan Baker of the Tampa Bay Rays, Cade Smith of the Cleveland Guardians, and Louis Varland of the Toronto Blue Jays. In the NL, the ballot features Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres, Jhoan Duran of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Trevor Megill of the Milwaukee Brewers.
The 2026 Cy Young and Reliever of the Year winners will be revealed at 7 p.m. ET on MLB Network, which can be streamed via Fubo.
Key Analysis
Schlittler's dominance in ERA and WHIP has positioned him as the overwhelming favorite in the AL, while Misiorowski's stellar season has made him the leading candidate in the NL. The introduction of the Reliever of the Year Award adds another layer of excitement, recognizing the crucial role of bullpen arms in modern baseball.
Originally reported by usatoday.