It could be a special Friday afternoon at American Family Field when two division leaders and their ace pitchers meet. The National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers host the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves in Milwaukee, with Jacob Misiorowski (12-5, 1.75 ERA) starting for the Brewers against left-hander Chris Sale (12-8, 2.16) to open a huge three-game series.
A Misiorowski-Sale matchup is enough to draw attention any time. However, it would be particularly exciting in the postseason, which could certainly happen if things continue this way. It also begs the question: Of all the aces in the NL right now, who would you want taking the ball most come October? And which teams are in the best possible position when it comes to their rotation right now?
1. LHP Cristopher Sanchez, Phillies
All due respect to the Miz, the left-hander is the best pitcher in the NL this season, leading the Major Leagues in wins with a 16-4 record. Sanchez is also second in the NL with 187 strikeouts while his 2.51 ERA in 26 starts ranks fourth.
Sanchez showed his dominance earlier this season by setting the MLB record for a lefty by pitching 50 consecutive scoreless innings. Sanchez has 18 quality starts and has not allowed a run in nine outings. Since getting tagged for nine runs in 3.1 innings by the Kansas City Royals on July 6, Sanchez is 6-0 with a 2.18 ERA in seven starts.
2. RHP Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers
Misiorowski has an MLB-leading 210 strikeouts in just 139 innings, and his ERA over 23 starts is also tops in the big leagues. Misiorowski has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his five losses. The big righty has six scoreless outings and 15 quality starts, though he has proven to be somewhat human lately, going 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA in his last six starts.
3. LHP Chris Sale, Braves
The 37-year-old shows no signs of slowing down as he is second in MLB in ERA despite losing his last two starts. Overall, Sale has had quality starts in 15 of his 22 outings and pitched shutout ball seven times as he continues his late-career resurgence.
4. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers
The star of last year’s postseason, when he pitched the Dodgers to their second straight World Series title, Yamamoto has had a strong follow-up campaign in 2026. The righty is 12-7 in 22 starts with a 2.60 ERA that is fifth in the NL.
Yamamoto has pitched at least five innings in every start and notched 17 quality starts. He has sustained no hangover effect after pitching 37.1 playoff innings in 2025.
5. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, Diamondbacks
The left-hander is finally living up to his four-year, $80-million contract in his third season with the Diamondbacks. He has a 12-4 record and 2.71 ERA in 25 starts in 2026 after going 12-13 with a 5.02 ERA in 39 starts combined during the previous two seasons.
Rodriguez has 16 quality starts and blanked the opponent in five outings. In his last eight games, Rodriguez is 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA.
6. RHP Sandy Alcantara, Marlins
After years of trade speculation, the Marlins held on to the pending free agent at this year’s deadline with hopes Alcantara could lead them to the postseason. He has made an MLB-high 27 starts while notching a 13-8 record with a 3.46 ERA.
Alcantara has been the losing pitcher in his last two turns but has 20 quality starts this season. He is tied for third in the NL in wins.
7. RHP Michael King, Padres
King’s record is just 8-9, but he has a 3.38 ERA over 26 starts. However, his 13 quality starts show that he is just shy of a true No. 1.
8. RHP Kevin Gausman, Cubs
The Cubs added the veteran right-hander to their injury-ravaged rotation at the trade deadline after he was 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 starts for the Toronto Blue Jays. Gausman is 1-1 with a 6.19 ERA in three starts with the Cubs, and it is fair to wonder if the 35-year-old is close to the end of the line.
9. RHP Michael McGreevy, Cardinals
The 26-year-old has had a promising first full season in the Majors but isn’t yet a pitcher that a team would want to start a Game 1 in the postseason. He is 5-9 with a 3.54 ERA in 25 starts and has 14 quality starts but is starting to fade with a 1-2 record and a 5.05 ERA in his last seven outings.
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