Sánchez and Misiorowski headline key series in the Cy Young race

Philadelphia.– The race for the National League Cy Young Award is experiencing one of its most exciting moments, and this weekend could mark a turning point in the definition of the award.

The Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers will face off in a series that will bring together two of the top candidates for the award that distinguishes the best pitcher in the circuit: the Dominican Cristopher Sánchez and the Milwaukee phenomenon, Jacob Misiorowski.

Although names like Chase Burns, Chris Sale, Paul Skenes, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani have also shined from the mound, the consistency and dominance exhibited by Sánchez and Misiorowski have placed them at the top of the preferences.

Misiorowski will start for Milwaukee on Friday, coinciding with the first anniversary of his Major League debut. The right-hander has dazzled in his second season by leading the National League among qualified starters in ERA (1.50), strikeouts (116), WHIP (0.81), and opponent batting average (.151), after allowing just 22 walks in 78 innings.

His powerful fastball has become one of the deadliest weapons in baseball. In his most recent outing, against Colorado at Coors Field, he recorded a 103.7 mph pitch, the highest velocity for a starter since electronic pitch tracking began in 2008. Additionally, he threw 45 pitches of at least 101 mph.

You can also read: Cristopher Sánchez dominates again with 10 strikeouts in Phillies’ win over Toronto | De Último Minuto | Today’s news in the Dominican Republic

Over his last seven starts, Misiorowski has posted an impressive 0.20 ERA, the third-lowest in a similar span since 1913.

For his part, Cristopher Sánchez continues to write a historic season. After finishing second in the Cy Young voting last campaign, the Dominican left-hander has raised his level even further.

Sánchez broke a 115-year Philadelphia franchise record by stringing together 50.2 consecutive scoreless innings, the longest streak for a left-handed pitcher in Major League history and the third-longest of all time.

The Dominican leads the National League in innings pitched (93.1) and complete games (one), in addition to ranking second in wins, with eight, ERA (1.54), and strikeouts (113). He also leads the Major Leagues in fWAR (3.9), while his changeup has been rated as the most valuable pitch of the season.

After seeing his historic scoreless streak come to an end, Sánchez proved that his dominance remains intact by striking out 10 batters in seven innings against Toronto. Additionally, he has now recorded seven consecutive starts of at least seven innings since May 5th.

The Dominican will pitch on Sunday against Kyle Harrison, another of Milwaukee’s most effective arms. Although he does not yet meet the minimum innings to be among the official leaders, Harrison has a 2.72 ERA and remains among the best strikeout pitchers in the circuit.

With several candidates standing out in the National League, the series between Philadelphia and Milwaukee could become the stage where the Cy Young race begins to tilt definitively in favor of one of its protagonists.