The National League Cy Young race is getting a marquee showdown Friday when two of the league’s premier pitchers take the mound against each other. Chris Sale and Jacob Misiorowski will face off as the Atlanta Braves visit the Milwaukee Brewers, creating a matchup that could have major implications for both the NL playoff race and the Cy Young Award.
Sale vs. Misiorowski Is Must-See Baseball
May 6, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) pitches the ball against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Misiorowski has emerged as one of the biggest pitching stories in MLB this season. The Brewers right-hander enters Friday with a 1.75 ERA, 210 strikeouts and a 0.748 WHIP across 139 innings. He is widely considered the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award and has continued to dominate deep into the season.
Standing across from him will be Sale, a former Cy Young winner who is having another outstanding season at 37 years old.
The Braves left-hander has posted a 2.16 ERA and 160 strikeouts over 129 innings, putting himself firmly in the Cy Young conversation. Sale won the NL award in 2024 after capturing the pitching Triple Crown, so he knows exactly what it takes to win this race.
Playoff Seeding Adds Even More Importance
Jun 12, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (33) throws a pitch during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
This isn’t simply a battle between two Cy Young candidates.
The Braves and Brewers are also fighting for positioning near the top of the National League standings. Milwaukee currently holds a four-game advantage over Atlanta for the best record in the NL, while the Los Angeles Dodgers sit between them, two games behind the Brewers.
That positioning matters enormously because the top two teams in each league receive first-round byes, while the remaining division winner must participate in the Wild Card Series.
With the postseason approaching, every game between these contenders carries added weight.
Friday’s matchup therefore gives fans a little bit of everything: two elite pitchers battling for one of baseball’s biggest individual awards while their teams fight for an enormously valuable playoff advantage.
Misiorowski vs. Sale is exactly the type of matchup that could be remembered when the NL Cy Young and postseason races are finally decided.
