Major League Baseball’s awards announcements begin Monday, with the BBWAA set to reveal the winners of the top honors for the 2026 season. Several races seem to have obvious favorites, though awards voting has produced surprises before. This year also brings a new honor: the BBWAA will name a Reliever of the Year in each league. One thing to keep in mind is that ballots were submitted before the postseason began.
I don’t vote in the BBWAA awards, and I doubt that’s about to change. Still, here are the finalists and my picks for each award.
NL MVP (Announced Nov. 12)
Finalists: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Shohei Ohtani, Brice Turang
Shohei Ohtani has won three MVPs in a row—one with the Angels and the past two with the Dodgers—but his run is likely to end in 2026. Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong put together a remarkable season, becoming just the seventh player in major league history to record a 40-40 campaign. He led the league with 119 runs, drove in 107 and finished with 10.6 fWAR, well clear of the field. The main question may be whether Ohtani or Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, who ranked third in the NL with 5.9 fWAR, takes second place.
Prediction: Pete Crow-Armstrong
AL MVP (Announced Nov. 12)
Finalists: Yordan Alvarez, Junior Caminero, Bobby Witt Jr.
The American League race is a little less straightforward, though not by much. Astros outfielder and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez came close to a Triple Crown, finishing second in both home runs and RBIs. His 6.8 fWAR trails Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., whose 7.0 mark was helped by his defense. Witt also stole 45 bases, second-most in the AL, but hit 18 home runs and posted a 119 wRC+. Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, meanwhile, hit 42 homers and drove in 100 runs while playing a major role on the American League’s best team.
Playing for a winning team shouldn’t be a requirement for MVP, but Caminero’s season deserves plenty of attention. He’d be my choice, though I suspect Alvarez will get the award.
Prediction: Yordan Alvarez
NL Cy Young (Announced Nov. 11)
Finalists: Jacob Misiorowski, Chris Sale, Christopher Sanchez
Some people think the National League Cy Young race could be tighter than it looks. I’m not convinced. Jacob Misiorowski led the NL in strikeout percentage, ERA, xERA, FIP and xFIP, and I expect him to win comfortably. Chris Sale and Christopher Sanchez both had outstanding seasons, but Misiorowski’s numbers put him ahead. The more interesting question may be who finishes behind him.
Prediction: Jacob Misiorowski
AL Cy Young (Announced Nov. 11)
Finalists: Dylan Cease, Parker Messick, Cam Schlittler
This looks like a two-man contest between Cam Schlittler and Dylan Cease. Cease’s late-season injury may have given Schlittler an edge. Schlittler pitched 193⅔ innings and led the AL with a 1.95 ERA and a 2.85 expected ERA. Cease was close behind and had the better strikeout rate. I’d vote for Schlittler, and I think he’ll win, though perhaps by a wider margin than the performances really warrant. Cleveland’s Parker Messick looks likely to finish third; there’s more on him below.
Prediction: Cam Schlittler
NL Rookie of the Year (Announced Nov. 9)
Finalists: Carson Benge, Sal Stewart, JJ Wetherholt
The National League Rookie of the Year race may be where the awards bring the most suspense. Reds first baseman Sal Stewart led all rookies with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs, but ranked fifth among NL rookies with 2.0 fWAR. JJ Wetherholt led the group at 4.6 fWAR, with Carson Benge close behind at 4.3.
WAR isn’t the only way to measure a season, of course, but the gap between first and fifth is substantial. My vote would go to Benge, just ahead of Wetherholt. Still, I expect Stewart’s traditional offensive numbers to carry weight with voters.
Prediction: Sal Stewart
AL Rookie of the Year (Announced Nov. 9)
Finalists: Kevin McGonigle, Parker Messick, Payton Tolle
For most of the season, I expected Kevin McGonigle to win, and he did little to change my mind. He posted a 129 wRC+ and 5.4 fWAR, the highest total among major league rookies. But he’s up against two pitchers who played important roles in their teams’ postseason pushes: Parker Messick and Boston’s Payton Tolle. Messick pitched more innings and had the lower ERA, while Tolle had a better strikeout rate and expected ERA.
There’s a reasonable case for any of the three. If I had a ballot, though, I’d choose McGonigle.
Prediction: Kevin McGonigle
NL Relief Pitcher of the Year (Announced Nov. 11)
Finalists: Jhoan Duran, Trevor Megill, Mason Miller
The BBWAA is introducing its Relief Pitcher of the Year awards in 2026. As with a few of the other races, the fight for second place may be more compelling than the choice of winner. Mason Miller should take the NL honor after striking out 129 batters in 70 innings. He also recorded a 1.67 ERA, a 1.17 FIP and 38 saves.
Prediction: Mason Miller
AL Relief Pitcher of the Year (Announced Nov. 11)
Finalists: Bryan Baker, Cade Smith, Louis Varland
Bryan Baker and Cade Smith each finished with an AL-leading 41 saves, but Toronto’s Louis Varland may have had the best overall season. He posted a 1.27 ERA and a 1.83 FIP across 78 innings. Smith had a slightly higher strikeout rate, and both he and Baker pitched for division winners. This one is tough to call. My pick would be Varland.
Prediction: Louis Varland
NL Manager of the Year (Announced Nov. 10)
Finalists: Don Mattingly, Pat Murphy, Walt Weiss
I’m not entirely sure what voters weigh most heavily for Manager of the Year. Pat Murphy seems to me like the game’s best manager right now, but he has won this award twice in a row. Since the voting happens before the postseason, voter fatigue could be a factor.
Don Mattingly deserves credit for helping the Phillies recover from a rough start, although they struggled late and had to fight to secure a postseason berth. Walt Weiss, in his first season managing the Braves after taking over from Brian Snitker, led Atlanta through a season in which it spent most of the year atop the NL East.
I’d vote for Murphy, but I have a feeling Weiss could take it.
Prediction: Walt Weiss
AL Manager of the Year (Announced Nov. 10)
Finalists: Kevin Cash, Chad Tracy, Will Venable
The White Sox lost 324 games from 2023 through 2025. Few people expected Will Venable to lead them back to the postseason in 2026, even if the team let the AL Central title slip away late in the year. That turnaround seems like a strong case for Manager of the Year.
Prediction: Will Venable
