AL and NL Cy Young watch: Max Fried leads Yankees pair, Shohei Ohtani leads Dodgers pair as both awards are packed with contenders

With roughly one-fifth of the 2026 MLB regular season complete, the AL and NL Cy Young award races are wide open after defending winners faced setbacks, including Tigers ace Tarik Skubal being sidelined indefinitely following arthroscopic elbow surgery. In the American League, Max Fried leads a Yankees contingent of contenders, while Shohei Ohtani heads a group of Dodgers pitchers in the National League race. Senior writer Jordan Shusterman published the analysis on May 6, 2026, as part of a broader look at the three major MLB awards races.