​Drew Rasmussen is mounting a serious charge to become the American League’s top pitcher. As the 2026 season reaches its halfway point, the Tampa Bay Rays right-hander has firmly positioned himself in the AL Cy Young conversation. MLB.com recently released its latest Cy Young poll, placing Rasmussen third in the American League, behind only New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler and Toronto Blue Jays standout Dylan Cease. And given how he’s pitched lately, it’s hard to argue he can’t climb even higher.
Rasmussen has been nearly untouchable over his last three starts, allowing just one earned run across 21 innings while fanning 29 batters. He’s issued only one walk in that span and yielded just nine hits, underscoring the elite command that has become his hallmark this season. Through 86 innings this year, he owns a 2.62 ERA and an impressive 0.88 WHIP, continuing what has quietly become one of the best seasons for any starter in baseball. Since 2021, Rasmussen has posted the second-lowest ERA among starters with at least 500 innings, trailing only Shohei Ohtani. This season may be his best yet, as he’s going deeper into games while posting both the highest strikeout rate and the lowest walk rate of his starting career.
Cam Schlittler headlines the latest AL Cy Young poll, as shown in MLB’s social post. Just two weeks ago, Rasmussen delivered perhaps the best outing of his career, striking out a career-high 13 Red Sox over seven shutout innings. It’s a reminder that when he’s healthy, few pitchers can match his ceiling.
With plenty of baseball left, Rasmussen has done everything needed to become one of the favorites in the American League Cy Young race. If he sustains this level into the second half, don’t be surprised if the Rays’ ace finishes the season with more than All-Star honors. After a rocky start to June, Tampa Bay is back in a tie with the Yankees atop the AL East, and if Rasmussen’s pitching staff continues to dominate, the Rays are positioned to make a major push at the MLB trade deadline and into the postseason, with hopes of guiding the franchise to its first World Series title. He’ll get another opportunity Sunday to bolster his resume for the All-Star game and end-of-season awards when he starts the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.