Early on, this season’s National League Cy Young race is shaping up to be one for the ages. Numerous candidates have been enjoying sensational starts, and as we approach June, there are a handful of players who deserve to be at the forefront of the conversation around the best pitcher in the league. Shohei Ohtani has been dominant on the mound, and his numbers are certainly indicative of a player worthy of being crowned the Cy Young Award winner. It’s the one major award in MLB he’s not yet earned, and considering he’s on track to pitch a full season for the first time since 2022, he’ll have a real shot to do so. As we enter June, Ohtani finds himself in fourth place in Cy Young voting odds (+600 on DraftKings Sportsbook). In his first eight starts, the righthander has maintained a 0.73 ERA while striking out 54 batters across 49 innings. He’s surrendered a total of four earned runs and has walked 13 batters, logging a 0.84 WHIP. His ERA and WHIP would be considered the best among all starting pitchers, but he doesn’t currently qualify for statistical leaderboards as a pitcher because he hasn’t pitched the equivalent of one inning for every game the Dodgers have played. Unlike most starters, Ohtani doesn’t pitch every five games. As Los Angeles aims to maintain his health, the 31-year-old is pitching once a week, or once every six to seven games. Already, he’s logged two to three fewer starts than most of the league’s top pitchers, and at this pace, Ohtani will end the season with 24 starts, potentially 25, barring a change in plans from the Dodgers. He’s pitching deeper into games, having logged only one start of less than six innings, but the fact that he’s not taking the mound as often as his competitors has already begun to hinder him in the Cy Young race. National League Cy Young RaceCristopher Sánchez, PhilliesPhillies star Cristopher Sanchez leads all pitchers in fWAR. | Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesAs it stands, following his sensational month in May, Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez has emerged as the favorite to win the NL Cy Young. He’s been brilliant, racking up 2.8 fWAR in 11 starts (most among any pitcher) while recording a 1.62 ERA. He’s struck out 86 batters in 72 1/3 innings while surrendering just three home runs. In May, Sánchez has taken his game to another level. Across four starts and 32 innings, the 29-year-old southpaw hasn’t allowed a single run. He’s given up 19 hits and just three walks, giving him a superb 0.69 WHIP. Opposing hitters have a dismal .389 OPS against him in May. Sánchez finished as the runner up for NL Cy Young last season, but if he continues pitching at this level, he could claim the award as his own this year. Jacob Misiorowski, BrewersBrewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski looks like a Cy Young contender in his first full MLB season. | Benny Sieu-Imagn ImagesMisiorowski, much like Sánchez, has been unhittable in May. Perhaps the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in MLB history, Misiorowski’s first full season is off to a roaring start. The Brewers’ standout has 100 strikeouts across 64 innings, leading MLB with an elite 14.9 K/9. His 1.83 ERA ranks second among qualified NL pitchers, trailing only Sánchez. In May, Misiorowski has made five starts and pitched 31 1/3 innings. He’s given up just one run and has fanned 49 batters while walking six. In that span, opponents have a .258 OPS against him and have not recorded a single extra-base hit. Chris Sale, BravesAt age 37, Chris Sale continues to be one of MLB’s best pitchers. | Dale Zanine-Imagn ImagesSomehow, Sale seems to get better with age. The Braves’ ace is in the midst of his third outstanding season since arriving in Atlanta, despite this being his age-37 campaign. Sale, despite multiple close finishes, only won his first Cy Young in 2024. He’s having nearly as good of a season in ‘26 as he did then. In his first 10 starts, Sale has pitched 62 innings and owns a 1.89 ERA. He’s recorded 72 strikeouts while surrendering just 40 hits and 14 walks. His 0.87 WHIP ranks fourth in MLB, and he’s in the top 15 in strikeouts per nine innings, walks per nine innings and strikeouts to walks ratio. Chase Burns, RedsReds ace Chase Burns is a Cy Young contender in his second MLB season. | Eric Hartline-Imagn ImagesBurns is just 23 years old and has already thrown more innings than he did as a rookie last year, but he’s been excellent thus far for the Reds. The righthander has a 1.83 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 59 innings. Burns has lasted at least six innings in each of his last five starts, and has had just one outing in which he’s surrendered more than two runs. Burns owns a 3.36 FIP, which suggests some regression may be in order, but he’s yet to slow down as he continues to dominate on the mound. He leads the National League in WPA (win probability added), a testament to the level of impact he’s had on the mound for Cincinnati in high-leverage situations. Paul Skenes, PiratesPaul Skenes is looking to win his second consecutive Cy Young award. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesSkenes was roughed up on Opening Day for the Pirates, and has also endured back-to-back tough outings, which has caused him to fall back a bit in this race. Across 11 starts, he owns a 3.00 ERA and has logged 65 strikeouts and nine walks across 60 innings. From April 18 to May 12, Skenes went five consecutive starts without giving up a walk. All but one of those games were scoreless outings from the reigning Cy Young winner, and he had seven-plus strikeouts in four of those five outings, too. Prior to his pair of unfortunate starts against the Phillies and Blue Jays, Skenes had lowered his ERA to 1.98, which is still higher than his ERA in either of his first two MLB seasons. He has some work to do to get back on track if he wants to win his second straight Cy Young, though he certainly has the talent to do it. Honorable mentionsKyle Harrison, BrewersZack Wheeler, PhilliesMax Meyer, MarlinsBryce Elder, BravesMore MLB from Sports IllustratedAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow