Baseball writers name finalists for 2026 awards, including new reliever honour
The top three vote-getters for MVP, Cy Young and other major honours were revealed Monday, with winners to be announced next week.
The Baseball Writers Association of America announced the finalists for its major 2026 season awards during a live broadcast on MLB Network on Monday evening. The list reveals the top three vote-getters for the Most Valuable Player, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year awards in both the American and National Leagues. For the first time, the BBWAA will also present a Reliever of the Year Award, a new addition for the 2026 season. The award winners, determined by votes cast before the playoffs began, will be announced during the week of November 9. The American League MVP finalists are Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Alvarez, a finalist for the second time, led all qualifying hitters with a .316 batting average, a .432 on-base percentage and a .601 slugging percentage while hitting 42 home runs and driving in 106 runs. Caminero, in his first season as a finalist, played all 162 games, posting a .276 average with 42 homers and 101 RBI. Witt Jr., a finalist for the second time in three years, hit .281 with 18 home runs and stole 45 bases.
In the National League, the MVP finalists are Chicago Cubs centre fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani and Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang. Crow-Armstrong, a first-time finalist, joined the 40-40 club with 45 home runs and 41 stolen bases while posting a .280 average and leading the majors with 10.6 wins above replacement according to FanGraphs. Ohtani, a four-time MVP winner, hit .275 with 30 home runs and also pitched to a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts. Turang, also a first-time finalist, hit .268 with 21 home runs, 100 RBI and 19 steals while playing elite defence.
The American League Cy Young finalists are Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease, Cleveland Guardians left-hander Parker Messick and New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler. Cease, in his first season with Toronto, posted a 2.40 ERA with 239 strikeouts in 169 innings. Messick, who is also a Rookie of the Year finalist, had a 2.56 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 186 and one-third innings. Schlittler led the AL with a 1.95 ERA and tied Cease with 239 strikeouts over 193 and two-thirds innings.
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The National League Cy Young finalists are Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale and Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez. Misiorowski led the majors with 252 strikeouts and a 1.80 ERA in 174 and two-thirds innings. Sale, a nine-time Cy Young finalist, recorded a 2.16 ERA with 200 strikeouts. Sánchez, a finalist for the second straight year, pitched 207 innings with a 2.91 ERA and 231 strikeouts.
The new Reliever of the Year award finalists include Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker and Cleveland’s Cade Smith, who tied for the major league lead with 41 saves each, and Toronto’s Louis Varland, who had 35 saves and a 1.27 ERA. In the National League, the finalists are Philadelphia’s Jhoan Duran, Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill and San Diego’s Mason Miller, who saved 38 games. Manager of the Year finalists in the American League are Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash, whose Rays won 98 games, Boston’s Chad Tracy, who took over a 10-17 team and guided it to a 77-58 record and a playoff berth, and Chicago’s Will Venable, who led the White Sox to an 84-78 record and the playoffs after back-to-back 100-loss seasons. In the National League, the finalists are Philadelphia’s Don Mattingly, Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy and Atlanta’s Walt Weiss. Murphy’s Brewers had the best record in baseball at 103-59.
The Rookie of the Year finalists in the American League are Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle, Cleveland’ Parker Messick and Boston Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle. McGonigle hit .278 with 18 home runs, while Tolle posted a 3.03 ERA in 26 starts. National League rookie finalists are New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge, Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart and St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt. Stewart hit 32 home runs with 111 RBI for the Reds. The announcement schedule begins with the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Awards on Monday, November 9. The Relief Pitcher of the Year and Cy Young Awards will be announced on Wednesday, November 11, followed by the Manager of the Year Awards on Thursday, November 12, and the Most Valuable Player Awards on Friday, November 13.
With files from Yahoo Sports, Sportsnet and CBS Sports