Major League Baseball and the Baseball Writers Association of America have revealed the finalists for the 2026 major awards, covering Most Valuable Player, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Relief Pitcher of the Year, and Manager of the Year in both leagues. Voting concluded before the playoffs began, and the winners will be announced from November 9 to 12.
American League MVP
Yordan Alvarez (Astros) led the majors with a .316/.432/.601 slash line, 42 home runs, 106 RBI, and 105 runs in 158 games. Junior Caminero (Rays) played all 162 games, hitting .276/.360/.524 with 42 homers, 101 RBI, and 5.7 WAR. Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals) posted a .281/.359/.441 line with 33 doubles, 18 homers, 45 steals, and 6.7 WAR, marking his fourth straight top-seven finish.
American League Cy Young
Dylan Cease (Blue Jays) went 11-6 with a 2.40 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts in 169 innings. Parker Messick (Guardians) was 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 193 strikeouts in 186⅓ innings. Cam Schlittler (Yankees) led the AL in WAR and ERA, going 14-6 with a 1.95 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts in 193⅔ innings.
American League Rookie of the Year
Kevin McGonigle (Tigers) led AL rookies with 7.1 WAR, hitting .278/.376/.420 with 18 home runs, 72 RBI, and 12 steals. Parker Messick (Guardians) maintained rookie eligibility and excelled with a 2.56 ERA in 32 starts. Payton Tolle (Red Sox) posted a 3.03 ERA with 171 strikeouts in 148⅔ innings.
American League Relief Pitcher of the Year
Bryan Baker (Rays) led the majors with 41 saves and a 1.44 ERA. Cade Smith (Guardians) also had 41 saves with a 1.95 ERA and 107 strikeouts. Louis Varland (Blue Jays) recorded a 1.27 ERA and 35 saves.
American League Manager of the Year
Kevin Cash (Rays) guided Tampa Bay to 98 wins and the AL's best record after two playoff misses. Chad Tracy (Red Sox) turned a 10-17 start into a playoff berth, winning 32 of 37 games at one stretch. Will Venable (White Sox) improved the team by 24 wins to reach the playoffs after a 121-loss season.
National League MVP
Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs) led the majors in WAR (9.8), runs (119), and home runs (45), joining the 40-40 club. Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) hit .275/.377/.512 with 30 homers and also went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA on the mound. Brice Turang (Brewers) hit .268/.366/.450 with 21 homers, 100 RBI, and 7.3 WAR.
National League Cy Young
Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers) led the majors in ERA (1.80), WHIP (0.80), and strikeouts (252) in 174⅔ innings. Chris Sale (Braves) posted a 2.16 ERA with 200 strikeouts and only 31 walks. Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies) led all pitchers with 8.1 WAR, going 18-7 with a 2.91 ERA.
National League Rookie of the Year
Carson Benge (Mets) hit .282/.346/.430 with 20 home runs and 22 steals. Sal Stewart (Reds) became one of only 15 rookies ever with 30+ homers and 100+ RBI. JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals) accumulated 4.5 WAR with strong defensive metrics.
National League Relief Pitcher of the Year
Jhoan Duran (Phillies) converted 33 of 35 saves with a 1.82 ERA. Mason Miller (Padres) struck out 129 in 70 innings with a 1.67 ERA. Trevor Megill (Brewers) saved 30 games with a 2.63 ERA.
National League Manager of the Year
Don Mattingly (Phillies) took over a 9-19 team and went 79-55 to reach the playoffs. Pat Murphy (Brewers) seeks a third straight award after 97 and 103-win seasons. Walt Weiss (Braves) improved Atlanta from 76-86 to 94-68.
