Cristopher Sánchez stealing the NL Cy Young from Paul Skenes is more realistic than you think

The Phillies were dealt a gut punch when Zack Wheeler went down, but Cristopher Sánchez has turned that setback into his moment.

Cristopher Sanchez isn’t just holding down the rotation, he’s pitching himself into a legitimate Cy Young race against the most hyped arm in baseball, Paul Skenes.

Zack Wheeler needs surgery, out for rest of season

The Case for Paul Skenes

Paul Skenes is still the betting favorite, and for good reason.

The Pirates’ phenom hasn’t skipped a beat since debuting last May. A 2.16 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 174 strikeouts over 154 innings. He’s also the “gold standard” right now, armed with seven different pitches and a strikeout rate (30.1%) that makes hitters look like they brought a whiffle bat to the plate.

If the season ended today, he’d probably have the inside track.

The Case for Cristopher Sánchez

What the majority of dummies don’t realize on the internet is that Cristopher Sánchez has matched Paul Skenes nearly pitch for pitch, every step of the way.

Is Cristopher Sánchez the most underrated pitcher in MLB?

2025 stats:
9 wins
2.55 ERA
130.2 IP
139 Ks pic.twitter.com/WqAQYidrke

— MLB (@MLB) August 3, 2025

• Record: 11-4
• ERA: 2.46
• WHIP: 1.10
• Strikeouts: 169 in 157 IP
• bWAR: 6.2 (slightly ahead of Skenes’ 5.9)

Sánchez has been carving hitters up with basically three pitches, and his changeup has been downright filthy, with a 45.1% whiff rate ranking the second-best in MLB behind only Tarik Skubal.

Since June, his 1.94 ERA is the best in the majors, and he’s setting franchise records for first-pitch strike dominance (96.3% in his last outing).

Add in the narrative with Sanchez stepping into Wheeler’s ace role midseason and keeping the Phillies rolling and it suddenly doesn’t look like Skenes is running away with this thing.

Cristopher Sanchez vs Paul Skenes: Head-to-Head Comparison

Stat	Sánchez	Skenes
bWAR	6.2	5.9
ERA	2.46	2.16
WHIP	1.10	0.96
K	169	174
W-L	11-4	7-9
IP	157	154

It’s a toss-up in most categories. Skenes’ ERA and WHIP are a touch better, but Sánchez has been more durable and has the stronger win-loss record.

The Intangibles

This race could come down to how voters view the storylines. I don’t like that at all and if that’s the case, Sanchez might be toast unless the underdog narrative can bring home the hardware.

• Skenes: The anointed next big thing, living up to the hype.
• Sánchez: The underdog lefty who transformed from “rotation filler” into an ace on a contending team.

If Sánchez keeps dealing, especially with Wheeler sidelined, the “most valuable to his team” angle could start working in his favor.

Right now, Skenes probably holds the edge

If Cristopher Sanchez continues dominating down the stretch while the Phillies lock up the division, there’s a legitimate chance he leapfrogs the Pirates’ phenom.

The Cy Young might come down to September and if Sánchez closes the year with the same form he’s shown since June, don’t be shocked if Philly steals another one from Pittsburgh.

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