RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe second half of the season is underway and we're witnessing Jacob Misiorowski and Yordan Alvarez continue to pull away from the competition, while Dylan Cease and Pete Crow-Armstrong are nibbling at the heels of Cam Schlittler and Shohei Ohtani. Let's take a look at the updated MVP and Cy Young rankings. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings .
National League Cy Young Poll
1. Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers (-500)
2026 Stats: 127.0 IP, 11-5, 1.63 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 195 K, 29 BB, .145 OBA
In my opinion, there is no way Jacob Misiorowski gets caught for the Cy Young lead. The "Miz" has 10 or more strikeouts in four of his last five games and two or fewer earned runs in 14 out of the previous 15 starts. Misiorowski leads the MLB in strikeouts (195), WHIP (0.73), OBA (.145), ERA (1.63), and tied ninth in wins (11).
2. Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves (+700)
2026 Stats: 117.0 IP, 12-6, 2.08 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 143 K, 26 BB, .215 OBA
Chris Sale is rolling. The veteran lefty posted a 2.00 ERA in July and finished the month with 34 strikeouts to four walks, plus a .186 OBA over 27.0 inning and five starts. Sale has surrendered two or fewer earned runs in six of the last eight starts and dropped his ERA to 2.08, which ranks second in all of baseball behind Misiorowski.
3. Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies (+900)
2026 Stats: 149.2 IP, 15-4, 2.65 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 174 K, 35 BB, .252 OBA
Cristopher Sanchez is the sole leader in wins for the MLB after grabbing four straight victories over his last four starts. Sanchez has started August on the right track with a 1.64 ERA over two starts against Washington and Baltimore. Sanchez did walk seven batters, but struck out 17 with eight hits and two earned runs. He will face the Cardinals and Marlins in his next two starts, so there is a good chance the good times keep coming for Sanchez.
Long Shot: Chase Burns, Cincinnati Reds (+3500)
2026 Stats: 118.2 IP, 13-1, 2.35 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 137 K, 43 BB, .202 OBA
Chase Burns continues to be the least talked about up-and-coming star pitcher in the game. Burns has collected four wins in his last five starts, including nine strikeouts and two hits in his previous outing against the Pirates. The Reds are 16-5 in Burns' 21 starts and won eight of the last nine contests. Burns has the fifth-best ERA in baseball (2.35) and ranks third in the NL, plus his .202 OBA is sixth overall and third in the NL.
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American League Cy Young Poll
1. Dylan Cease, Toronto Blue Jays (-115)
2026 Stats: 119.1 IP, 7-5, 2.28 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 184 K, 52 BB, .179 OBA
There's a new betting favorite for AL Cy Young and he goes by the name of Dylan Cease. The Blue Jays' ace has been unbelievable in his past six starts. Cease posted a 1.00 ERA in July with four earned runs over five starts, then started August with a gem versus the Cubs, going 7.0 innings with two hits, one walk, zero earned runs, and 10 strikeouts. In his last three starts, opponents are hitting .085 and struck out 29 times versus seven walks and six hits.
2. Cam Schlittler, New York Yankees (+105)
2026 Stats: 139.2 IP, 10-6, 2.26 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 171 K, 31 BB, .199 OBA
The red flags are starting to show with Cam Schlittler. Over his last four starts, he failed to make it to the fifth inning in two of them and he's coming off his shortest outing of the season, only 3.0 innings against the Cardinals (4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 6 K). In that outing, the second-year pro also tied a career-high in walks (5). Schlittler's numbers have dipped a bit over his last five starts with a 3.25 ERA and that's opened the door for Cease to take the lead for Cy Young.
3. Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay Rays (+2500)
2026 Stats: 117.1 IP, 10-5, 2.91 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 122 K, 20 BB, .205 OBA
Despite being a distant third, Drew Rasmussen has been dealing to start the second half of the season. The Rays have won three consecutive starts with Rasmussen on the mound as he's allowed two earned runs in that span. Rasmussen has 24 strikeouts to three walks over those three games and almost no-hit the Guardians (one hit over 7.0 IP).
Long Shot: Parker Messick, Cleveland Guardians (+4000)
2026 Stats: 136.2 IP, 9-6, 2.57 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 136 K, 38 BB, .209 OBA
One of the biggest surprises of the season has been the rise of Parker Messick. In his second season, Messick is showing his true potential with his command and endurance. Messick had his 26-start streak of at least 5.0 innings pitched snapped in his last outing against Arizona as he finished in 4.1 innings, but only allowed one earned run on six hits to go along with six strikeouts and one walk. Cleveland has series with the White Sox, Tigers, Padres, Giants, Rockies, Angels, and Blue Jays to finish August — a beautiful schedule for Messick to rack up some more wins.
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American League MVP Poll
1. Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros (-900)
2026 Stats: .329 BA, 35 HR, 85 RBI, 78 R, .442 OBP, 1.083 OPS
Unless an injury happens, Yordan Alvarez will win AL MVP. The Astros' star has been on a tear to start August. After ripping a ridiculous .360 batting average in July with nine home runs on 31 hits, 15 runs, and 17 RBI — Alvarez has kicked off August with a .421 batting average! Alvarez has a six-game hitting streak going and has reached base safely 22 consecutive games. He is two home runs short of his career-high 37 in 2022 and poised for his second 10...
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