Why Jacob Misiorowski Deserves Pitcher of the Month Over Cristopher Sanchez

An early adjudication of the Cy Young Award

May 13, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts after retiring the side in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

National League awards voters are going to have a tall task on their hands at the end of the season, and the first big litmus test comes now that May has flipped to June.

It's the golden year for NL starting pitchers, and Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski is right in the thick of things. After Sunday's dominant seven-inning performance against the Houston Astros, Misiorowski dropped his season ERA to 1.65 while increasing his league-leading strikeout total to 108.

Misiorowski was phenomenal in May, allowing one run in his 38 1/3 innings while striking out 57 batters. But much like in the year-long Cy Young Award race, he had competition that could quite possibly nab the NL's Pitcher of the Month Award.

Cristopher Sánchez's ridiculous May creates chaos

May 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) points skyward after pitching during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Philadelphia Phillies rising star Cristopher Sanchez was perfect on the score sheet in May. He didn't allow a single run in his 39 innings, striking out 45 batters and walking just three. He dropped his own season ERA to 1.44 through 12 starts, and if the season ended on Monday, he might well win the Cy Young Award.

Sanchez is also already up to 4.3 bWAR on the season, which would be a perfectly acceptable year-long total for an average No. 2 starter.

None of this even mentions the year-long competition Sanchez and Misiorowski will face from the likes of Paul Skenes, Shohei Ohtani, or Chris Sale. But there's an award to decide this month, and even if Sanchez is somewhat destined to win it, we're here to argue why Misiorowski should.

Misiorowski's case over Sanchez

May 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws a pitch during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

In a small sample like this one, strikeouts tell more of a tale of dominance than walks do. That's why Misiorowski's FIP this past month was also considerably lower than Sanchez's -- 0.65 to 1.08.

While Sanchez allowed just 25 hits, an impressive feat, Misiorowski held opposing batters to just 14 of them. It's hard to hit what you can't see, to be fair.

Misiorowski made six starts and Sanchez made five, so the best counterargument in Sanchez's favor is likely the innings pitched. Sanchez went at least seven innings in each of his starts, including a complete game shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The voting body for the Pitcher of the Month Award isn't the same as the Cy Young, anyway. But Misiorowski would love to set the tone for the end of the year by winning some hardware now.