Sánchez, Schlittler, Cease Lead MLB in Pitching WAR This Season
Cristopher Sánchez tops all pitchers in WAR despite not leading in ERA, with Cam Schlittler and Dylan Cease rounding out the top three; a cross-check shows Jacob Misiorowski actually posts the lowest ERA among qualified starters.
Published: · Figures as of September 6, 2026
Asked: Who are the top 3 pitchers?
Sánchez, Schlittler and Cease lead MLB pitchers in WAR this season
By Baseball-Reference's pitching WAR (the best single measure of total value, since it folds in innings, run prevention and league/park context), the top three in MLB this season are Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies, 7.78 WAR), Cam Schlittler (Yankees, 6.40), and Dylan Cease (Blue Jays, 6.12) — out of 877 pitchers with a recorded value.
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | WAR | ERA | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | 7.78 | 2.58 | 29 |
| 2 | Cam Schlittler | NYY | 6.40 | 2.05 | 29 |
| 3 | Dylan Cease | TOR | 6.12 | 2.25 | 26 |
| Pitcher | Pitching WAR (WAR) |
|---|---|
| Sánchez (PHI) | 7.78 |
| Schlittler (NYY) | 6.40 |
| Cease (TOR) | 6.12 |
A cross-check on ERA (qualified starters, minimum 144 innings pitched) largely agrees: Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers, 1.97 ERA) actually edges the field on run prevention alone, with Schlittler 2nd (2.05) and Chris Sale 3rd (2.10). Sánchez and Cease still rank 4th-6th on that board, so the WAR gap for Sánchez is coming from workload and context on top of his 2.58 ERA, not a run-prevention rate that tops the league.
Both boards point to the same handful of names — Sánchez, Schlittler, Cease, Misiorowski, Sale — as the season's strongest arms, with Schlittler the only pitcher inside the top 3 on both lists. Confidence: High, this is a direct read of the season's WAR and ERA leaderboards rather than an inference.