Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski Adds Historic Feat to NL Cy Young Campaign

Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitcher Jacob Misiorowski continues to etch his name into the MLB record books with his latest accomplishment during an impressive 2026 campaign.

Misiorowski tossed six innings of three-run ball in the Brewers' 4-3 extra-innings victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Arguably most notably, though, the hard-throwing righty racked up nine strikeouts in his latest outing, giving him 204 punchouts on the year. In doing so, the 24-year-old became the second-fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach 200 strikeouts in a single season, according to the official MLB account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The only pitcher to record 200 strikeouts in a season more quickly than Misiorowski was Spencer Strider in 2022. The Atlanta Braves right-hander hit that mark in 123 1/3 innings, while the Brewers ace did it in 129 1/3 innings. Strider again in 2023, Hall of Famer Randy Johnson in 2001, and Gerrit Cole in 2019 round out the top-five list of the fastest hurlers to strike out 200 batters in a single season.

What does the 2026 NL Cy Young race look like in early August?

Aug 8, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though there are still roughly two months left in the 2026 regular season, Misiorowski is seemingly the current favorite to win this year's National League Cy Young Award. The flamethrowing righty now has a 1.76 ERA in 22 starts this season, while striking out 204 hitters in 133 innings. The 24-year-old also currently leads the entire league in ERA and strikeouts.

Right behind Misiorowski with the second-best ERA in the majors, though, is Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale. The 37-year-old has a 2.20 ERA in 21 starts for the Braves this year with 151 strikeouts in 123 innings. The southpaw won the 2024 NL Cy Young Award in his first season with Atlanta.

Another hurler who's been in the NL Cy Young conversation all season is Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez. The 29-year-old has posted a 2.65 ERA in 24 starts so far in 2026, racking up 174 strikeouts in 149 2/3 innings. His current strikeout total is third in the National League at the time of publication, only behind Misiorowski and fellow Philadelphia southpaw Jesús Luzardo.

There's still plenty of baseball left to be played, and a lot could change in the final weeks of the 2026 regular season. But as things stand, Misiorowski has seemingly put himself in a good position to win his first NL Cy Young Award with a strong end to the year.

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