Baseball Awards: Chris Sale named Cy Young finalist

Major League Baseball Network announced Tuesday that Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale is a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award. The 37-year-old pitcher is up for the honor alongside Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski and Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sánchez.

Sale recorded a 2.16 earned run average and struck out 200 batters in 162.2 innings during the 2026 season. His performance helped lead the Braves to the fifth-best team ERA in baseball, which stood at 3.63. Sale served as the primary anchor for a rotation that included Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, Martin Perez, and Tyler Mahle while the team navigated injuries throughout its 94-win campaign.

The pitcher’s resurgence follows a period where injuries limited him to just 151 innings from 2020 to 2023. His current standing builds on a 2024 Cy Young win, where he posted an MLB-leading 18 wins and a 2.38 ERA. A key moment for Sale this season was an 11-strikeout complete-game shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 27. That performance has strengthened arguments for his future induction into the Hall of Fame.

Misiorowski is the statistical favorite for the award. The Brewers right-hander compiled a 16-5 record, a 1.80 ERA, and 252 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings across 30 starts. Sale signed a one-year contract extension in February for $27 million, which includes a club option for $30 million in 2028.

Braves manager Walt Weiss is also a finalist for NL Manager of the Year. Weiss replaced Brian Snitker and led the team to its first NL East title since 2023. The Manager of the Year award will be announced on Nov. 10. The Cy Young Award recipient will be revealed on Nov. 11.

Other finalists for the National League BBWAA awards include Pete Crow-Armstrong, Shohei Ohtani, and Brice Turang for MVP. Carson Benge, Sal Stewart, and JJ Wetherholt are finalists for Rookie of the Year. Don Mattingly and Pat Murphy join Weiss for Manager of the Year.