{"id":113042,"date":"2026-01-28T13:46:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T18:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=113042"},"modified":"2026-01-28T13:46:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T18:46:59","slug":"2026-cy-young-candidates-who-could-shock-mlb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/01\/28\/2026-cy-young-candidates-who-could-shock-mlb\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Cy Young Candidates Who Could Shock MLB"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 MLB season is around the corner, and while everyone\u2019s talking about the usual favorites for the Cy Young, Tarik Skubal<\/a> and Paul Skenes<\/a>, a group of under-the-radar pitchers could quietly dominate the voting. These dark horses might not all be household names yet \u2014 but by the end of the season, they could steal the spotlight.<\/p>\n

Here are the top dark horse candidates for both leagues:<\/p>\n

NL Dark Horses<\/h2>\n

1. Justin Steele \u2013 Chicago Cubs<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Aug 29, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (35) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Steele<\/a> isn\u2019t flashy, but he\u2019s dangerous. A lefty with elite command, he can deliver a full season of steady dominance. If he stays healthy and the Cubs<\/a> contend, Steele could quietly rack up strikeouts and WAR, making him a sleeper MVP for pitchers.<\/p>\n

Why he\u2019s a sleeper:<\/strong> 200 innings, low ERA, and under-the-radar excellence. Perfect for voters who love consistency over hype.<\/p>\n

2. Logan Webb \u2013 San Francisco Giants<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Webb<\/a> already flirted with Cy Young glory in 2025, finishing top-five in NL voting while leading the league in innings and strikeouts. He combines ace-level stuff with remarkable durability.<\/p>\n

Why he\u2019s a sleeper:<\/strong> Webb can quietly dominate without headlines \u2014 the type of pitcher voters can\u2019t ignore once stats like ERA+ and WAR start piling up.<\/p>\n

3. David Peterson \u2013 New York Mets<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Jul 14, 2023; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson (23) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Peterson<\/a> is entering a contract year, which always motivates big performances. He flashed brilliance in 2025, including an All-Star nod, and could put together a full-season breakout.<\/p>\n

Why he\u2019s a sleeper:<\/strong> High-spin fastball, devastating curve, and trade buzz all make him a perfect sleeper pick for the NL Cy Young.<\/p>\n

AL Dark Horses<\/h2>\n

1. Gavin Williams \u2013 Cleveland Guardians<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Williams<\/a> is one of the most exciting young arms in the AL. He has the velocity, command, and strikeout-to-walk ratio to dominate over 200 innings.<\/p>\n

Why he\u2019s a sleeper:<\/strong> He can quietly lead the league in key stats, giving voters a compelling narrative without the hype.<\/p>\n

2. Garrett Crochet \u2013 Boston Red Sox<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Feb 28, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When healthy, Crochet<\/a> is electric. His strikeout stuff is top-tier, and 2026 could be the year he finally puts together a full, consistent season.<\/p>\n

Why he\u2019s a sleeper:<\/strong> Elite K\/BB ratio, high-leverage innings, and voters love a bounce-back story.<\/p>\n

3. Seth Lugo \u2013 Kansas City Royals<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Lugo<\/a> brings veteran savvy and a complete pitch mix. He may not be a household name, but if he leads the Royals rotation and stays consistent, he could quietly climb the Cy Young ladder.<\/p>\n

Why he\u2019s a sleeper:<\/strong> Craftiness, experience, and team context make him the perfect under-the-radar candidate.<\/p>\n

The Last Word<\/h2>\n

The 2026 Cy Young races in both leagues aren\u2019t just about the big-name aces. Steele, Webb, Peterson, Williams, Crochet, and Lugo all have the tools to quietly dominate. Whether it\u2019s command, durability, strikeouts, or contract-year motivation, these pitchers could shock the voting and steal headlines by season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

MLB fans should watch these under-the-radar stars closely \u2014 because dark horses make the biggest noise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2026 MLB season is around the corner, and while everyone\u2019s talking about the usual favorites for the Cy Young, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, a group of under-the-radar pitchers could quietly dominate the voting. These dark horses might not all be household names yet \u2014 but by the end of the season, they could […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5710,"featured_media":59593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"553","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4,24,9,2,12,1071,22,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-redsox","category-cubs","category-guardians","category-featured","category-royals","category-mlb","category-mets","category-giants"],"modified_by":"Eddie Lennon, Staff Writer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5710"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113042"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113046,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113042\/revisions\/113046"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}