Max Fried Tops AL Cy Young Race, Ohtani Leads NL

Tarik Skubal’s arthroscopic elbow surgery knocks him out of the AL Cy Young conversation, and National League pitcher Paul Skenes has struggled to the point of being outside the top‑20 in fWAR. In this chaotic opening to the 2026 race, New York Yankees’ Max Fried has stepped into the spotlight. Fried, who finished fourth in last year’s AL Cy Young voting, has posted the league’s highest innings count and delivered quality starts in six of his eight outings. With his main rivals on the injured list, Fried’s reliability and workload could make him the most viable contender for the award. extract-html.com