Toronto Blue Jays right hander Dylan Cease was named a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award on Monday, November 2, when the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced the finalists for its major awards on MLB Network. Cease joins New York Yankees right hander Cam Schlittler and Cleveland Guardians rookie left hander Parker Messick as the three AL finalists, with the winners to be revealed next week.
Cease Gives Toronto A Finalist
Cease earned his place on the ballot with a 2.40 earned run average over 169 innings for Toronto, striking out 239 batters against 78 walks while posting an 11-6 record. In a season where the Blue Jays missed the postseason a year after winning the American League pennant, Cease was the constant at the top of the rotation, and his finalist nod gives Toronto a genuine presence in awards week. Winning, though, will be difficult. Schlittler posted a 1.95 earned run average, the second best mark in the majors, with a 14-6 record, 239 strikeouts in 193 and two thirds innings and 6.2 fWAR for the Yankees. Messick, a rookie, went 12-9 with a 2.56 earned run average and 193 strikeouts in 186 and a third innings for Cleveland, and he is also a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year.
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The National League Race
The NL Cy Young race has a clear favourite. Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers is a heavy favourite after leading the majors in earned run average at 1.80, WHIP at 0.80 and strikeouts with 252, while going 16-5 for a Brewers team that went on to win the World Series for the first time in franchise history. The other NL finalists are left handers Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves, who went 14-9 with a 2.16 earned run average, and Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies, who finished 18-7 with a 2.91 mark. Misiorowski is one of four members of the champion Brewers to reach a finalist list this year.
MVP Finalists Headline The Week
In the American League, Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez is the favourite for Most Valuable Player after batting .316 with 42 home runs and 106 runs batted in. He is joined by Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero, who helped the Rays reach the World Series, and Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., a finalist for the second time in his career. In the National League, Chicago Cubs centre fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is expected to win after batting .280 with 45 home runs, tying for the major league lead, 107 runs batted in and 41 stolen bases, making him the seventh member of the 40-40 club. Four time MVP Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Gold Glove second baseman Brice Turang of Milwaukee are the other NL finalists.
What Else Is On The Ballot
Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart is the prohibitive favourite for NL Rookie of the Year after hitting 32 home runs with 111 runs batted in and a .263 average, while the AL rookie list pairs Messick with Detroit infielder Kevin McGonigle and Boston left hander Payton Tolle. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy is a finalist for NL Manager of the Year as he seeks a third consecutive award, something no manager has ever done, and Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash is recognised on the AL side after the Rays won 98 games, a 21 win improvement on 2025. This is also the first year the writers will vote for a Relief Pitcher of the Year Award, with San Diego closer Mason Miller heading the NL candidates. The schedule runs all next week: Rookie of the Year on November 9, Manager of the Year on November 10, the Cy Young and Reliever awards on November 11, and Most Valuable Player on November 12.
Votes Cast Before The Postseason
One detail shapes every race on the list. The balloting for these awards was conducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America at the conclusion of the regular season, before the playoffs began, so the World Series run that made Misiorowski a household name in October does not count toward his Cy Young case, and the Rays reaching the World Series does not lift Caminero’s MVP case either. The awards are a verdict on the six month regular season, which is why a rookie like Messick, pitching for a Cleveland team that did not reach the World Series, can stand level with the aces of the Yankees and the Blue Jays. For Cease and Toronto, next Wednesday is the date that matters, and a top three finish is already a result the club can build its winter around.
