Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski and New York Yankees starter Cam Schlittler were named unanimous Cy Young Award winners on Wednesday, securing the honor after dominant campaigns in their first full major league seasons.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America awarded both pitchers all 30 first-place votes, confirming their status as the most effective starters in baseball during the 2026 season. Misiorowski, 24, led the Brewers to their first World Series title, while 25-year-old Schlittler emerged as the ace of a deep Yankees rotation.
This marks the third time in MLB history that both Cy Young winners were unanimous selections. The last instances occurred in 2022 with Justin Verlander and Sandy Alcantara, and in 1968 with Denny McLain and Bob Gibson.
Misiorowski’s performance placed him in rare company; he is the first pitcher to win both the Cy Young and a World Series in the same season since Randy Johnson did so with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.
“It’s exciting,” Misiorowski said. “And then you look one year past that and you’ve got Paul Skenes also doing it in his second year. It’s really cool, the youth that’s coming up in the big leagues.”
Misiorowski led the major leagues with a 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts, and a .157 opponent batting average. His 0.80 WHIP was the lowest for a full regular season by a pitcher with at least 150 innings since Pedro Martinez in 2000. Misiorowski set a Statcast-era record for a starter by throwing a 105.5 mph fastball against the Chicago Cubs in June.
In the American League, Schlittler anchored the Yankees’ pitching staff with an AL-best 1.95 ERA and 239 strikeouts across 33 starts. Despite growing up a fan of the Boston Red Sox, Schlittler excelled in the Bronx, giving up one run or fewer in 21 of his outings.
“Realistically when you come into your first full season of the year, do you think you’re going to do that? Maybe not,” Schlittler said. “But you also have the confidence that you can do that. I definitely had conversations with guys in spring training, and that’s kind of a minor goal you put for yourself.”
The league also recognized the top relief pitchers on Wednesday, naming San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller and Toronto Blue Jays closer Louis Varland as the inaugural winners of the Reliever of the Year award. Miller was a unanimous selection in the National League, while Varland took home the honor in the American League.
| Player | League | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Misiorowski | NL | Unanimous Winner |
| Cristopher Sanchez | NL | Second Place |
| Chris Sale | NL | Third Place |
| Cam Schlittler | AL | Unanimous Winner |
| Dylan Cease | AL | Second Place |
| Parker Messick | AL | Third Place |
With both winners aged 25 or younger, they join a small group of historical peers—including Tom Seaver and Denny McLain, Dwight Gooden and Bret Saberhagen, and Tim Lincecum and Zack Greinke—who achieved similar accolades at the start of their careers.
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