Cristopher Sanchez

Cristopher Sanchez finished second for the Cy Young Award in 2025, and without a historic season from Paul Skenes, he would have been an easy choice. Sanchez threw 202 innings with a 2.50 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 212 strikeouts. His K-rate jumped to 26.3%, and his walk rate remained microscopic at 5.5%. He also had a 176 ERA+, good for fifth in the majors. If you don't want to pay the massive cost for one of the Big 3 pitchers, Sanchez is about as great of a "consolation prize" as there is in starting pitching in 2026.