Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart are the 2026 MLB Rookies of the Year. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) named them on Monday, November 9, the first night of awards week, which ends with the MVP announcements on Thursday, November 12. McGonigle won the American League award almost unanimously, with 28 of 30 first-place votes. Stewart's National League win was closer: 20 first-place votes, with the Mets' Carson Benge and the Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt splitting the rest.[1][2][7]
 | |
| AL Rookie of the Year | Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers (204 points) |
|---|---|
| NL Rookie of the Year | Sal Stewart, Cincinnati Reds (170 points) |
| Voted by | BBWAA, 30 writers per league, before the postseason |
| Manager of the Year | Tuesday, November 10, 7pm ET |
| Cy Young and Reliever of the Year | Wednesday, November 11, 7pm ET |
| MVP | Thursday, November 12, 7pm ET |
| In GMT | Midnight (00:00) the following day |
| TV | MLB Network (also MLB+ streaming) |
| New in 2026 | BBWAA Relief Pitcher of the Year award |
Who won Rookie of the Year in 2026?
American League: Kevin McGonigle, Tigers. McGonigle hit .278 with an .806 OPS, 18 home runs, 72 RBIs, 28 doubles and 12 stolen bases, splitting his time almost evenly between shortstop and third base.[4][7] He led the AL in plate appearances (707), and his 7.1 WAR on Baseball Reference was the best in the league, pitchers included. MLB.com says no rookie had led his league in that number since Mike Trout in 2012.[4][8] He was 21 for most of the season and had played only 46 games at Double-A when he arrived at spring training. Detroit signed him to an eight-year, $150 million contract in April, a few weeks into his first season.[7][8] He is also the first rookie since Ted Williams in 1939 to reach 97 runs, 28 doubles, 18 homers, 72 RBIs and 95 walks in a season.[6][8]
He is the sixth Tigers player to win the award, after Harvey Kuenn (1953), Mark Fidrych (1976), Lou Whitaker (1978), Justin Verlander (2006) and Michael Fulmer (2016).[1][8]
National League: Sal Stewart, Reds. Stewart, 22, hit 32 home runs with 112 RBIs and a .263 average while playing all 162 games, 161 of them as a starter.[5][7] MLB.com notes he is the first NL rookie with 30 or more homers since Pete Alonso in 2019, and the first rookie to play all 162 games since Delmon Young in 2007.[4][5] His 112 RBIs are a Reds rookie record. He is the club's ninth winner and the first since Jonathan India in 2021.[2][5]
Both teams also get a bonus. Under MLB's Prospect Promotion Incentive, a club whose top prospect is on the Opening Day roster and then wins Rookie of the Year receives an extra pick after the first round of the next draft. The Tigers and the Reds each gain one in 2027.[5][8]
How the vote went
Each league's award is decided by 30 BBWAA writers, two from each city with a team in that league. A first-place vote is worth 7 points, then 4, 3, 2 and 1 for second to fifth.[1][2] The BBWAA publishes every ballot, which is why we know exactly who voted for whom.
McGonigle and Guardians left-hander Parker Messick were the only AL players named on all 30 ballots. Messick got the other two first-place votes, from Jordan Shusterman of Yahoo Sports and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, after going 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA and 193 strikeouts. He is also a Cy Young finalist this week.[1][7][9] Boston lefty Payton Tolle was third with 54 points. Two years running, a Red Sox rookie has finished third, after Roman Anthony in 2025.[1]
In the NL, Stewart was the only player listed on every ballot. Benge took seven first-place votes and 107 points after hitting 20 homers and stealing 22 bases. Wetherholt got three and 99 points after hitting .242 with 17 homers, playing strong defence at second base.[2][7] The Mets' Nolan McLean, fourth with 70 points, appeared on 29 ballots.[2][5]
| Kevin McGonigle (AL) | Sal Stewart (NL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Team, position | Tigers, SS/3B | Reds, 1B/3B/2B |
| First-place votes | 28 of 30 | 20 of 30 |
| Points (max 210) | 204 | 170 |
| Share of maximum | 97% | 81% |
| Margin over 2nd | 82 points | 63 points |
| Home runs / RBIs | 18 / 72 | 32 / 112 |
| Batting average / OPS | .278 / .806 | .263 / .787 |
| Games | 156 | 162 |
| Draft | 2023, 37th overall | 2022, 32nd overall |
Share of maximum and margins are our own arithmetic from the BBWAA totals (30 voters x 7 points = 210). Statistics from MLB.com and the Associated Press.[1][2][4][5][7]
MLB awards week 2026 schedule
The BBWAA announces one award a night on MLB Network, and every show starts at 7pm Eastern Time.[3] US clocks went back on November 1, so 7pm ET is midnight in the UK and late morning the next day in Australia. Separately, MLB holds its own MLB Awards show in Las Vegas on Wednesday at 9pm ET, with the All-MLB Teams, the Hank Aaron Awards and the Edgar Martinez Outstanding DH award.[10]
| Date (ET) | Award | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Nov 9 | Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year | Done: McGonigle (AL), Stewart (NL) |
| Tue Nov 10 | Manager of the Year | Tonight, 7pm ET |
| Wed Nov 11 | Cy Young; Relief Pitcher of the Year (new) | 7pm ET |
| Wed Nov 11 | MLB Awards show, Las Vegas | 9pm ET |
| Thu Nov 12 | Most Valuable Player | 7pm ET |
Finalists for the remaining awards
The top three in each vote were made public on November 2 and are listed alphabetically, so the order below does not show who is ahead.[3][9]
| Award | American League | National League |
|---|---|---|
| Manager of the Year | Kevin Cash (Rays), Chad Tracy (Red Sox), Will Venable (White Sox) | Don Mattingly (Phillies), Pat Murphy (Brewers), Walt Weiss (Braves) |
| Relief Pitcher of the Year | Bryan Baker (Rays), Cade Smith (Guardians), Louis Varland (Blue Jays) | Jhoan Duran (Phillies), Trevor Megill (Brewers), Mason Miller (Padres) |
| Cy Young | Dylan Cease (Blue Jays), Parker Messick (Guardians), Cam Schlittler (Yankees) | Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers), Cristopher Sanchez (Phillies), Chris Sale (Braves) |
| MVP | Yordan Alvarez (Astros), Junior Caminero (Rays), Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals) | Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers), Brice Turang (Brewers) |
Manager of the Year
MLB.com's case for each finalist: Cash's Rays were projected for 79 wins and finished 98-64 with the AL's best record. Tracy took over the Red Sox as interim manager in late April after Alex Cora was fired, and Boston went 77-58 under him. Venable took a White Sox team that had lost 100 or more games three years in a row to the ALDS. In the NL, Murphy is going for a third award in a row after Milwaukee's 103-59 season, Weiss won 94 games and the division in his first year with Atlanta, and Mattingly, like Tracy, was not in charge on Opening Day.[11][9] Murphy won the NL award in both 2024 and 2025, according to the BBWAA's records.[12]
Cy Young
Schlittler led the AL with a 1.95 ERA in 33 starts and tied Cease for second in strikeouts with 239. Cease had a 2.40 ERA in 29 starts in his first year in Toronto. Messick, a rookie, had a 2.56 ERA over 186 1/3 innings.[9][7] The NL finalists are Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski, Philadelphia's Cristopher Sanchez and Atlanta's Chris Sale, who won in 2024.[3][12]
MVP
MLB.com calls Pete Crow-Armstrong the NL favourite: 45 homers and 41 steals made him the seventh member of the 40-40 club. Shohei Ohtani has won the last three NL MVPs and four in total. In the AL, Yordan Alvarez led all qualified hitters in average (.316), on-base percentage (.432) and slugging (.601) with 42 homers, while Caminero hit 42 homers and played all 162 games.[9][10]
Recent Rookie of the Year winners
Stewart is the ninth first baseman to win in the NL, a list that starts with Jackie Robinson himself in 1947. MLB.com points out that every rookie with a 30-homer, 100-RBI season since the award began in 1947 has won it, a list that runs from Walt Dropo in 1950 to Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso.[5]
Frequently asked questions
Who won AL Rookie of the Year 2026?
Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers, with 204 points and 28 of 30 first-place votes. Parker Messick of Cleveland was second and Payton Tolle of Boston third.[1][7]
Who won NL Rookie of the Year 2026?
Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds, with 170 points and 20 first-place votes, ahead of Carson Benge (Mets) and JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals).[2][7]
When is the MLB MVP announced in 2026?
Thursday, November 12, at 7pm ET on MLB Network. That is midnight GMT going into Friday, November 13, and 11am on Friday in Sydney.[3]
Do playoff games count in the awards voting?
No. The writers submit their ballots before the postseason starts, so the awards cover the regular season only.[1][3]
What is new in the 2026 awards?
The BBWAA added a Relief Pitcher of the Year award this year. It is announced on November 11 alongside the Cy Young.[9][3]
More sport on this site: the Brewers' 2026 World Series win, the NFL trade deadline and the 24-team College Football Playoff.
References
- "Tigers' infielder Kevin McGonigle wins AL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year". BBWAA. November 9, 2026.
- "Slugging Reds first baseman Sal Stewart takes NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year". BBWAA. November 9, 2026.
- "2026 award winners to be announced on MLB Network". BBWAA. November 2, 2026.
- Randhawa, Manny. "Tigers' all-around star and Reds' throwback slugger named Rookies of the Year". MLB.com. November 10, 2026.
- Sheldon, Mark. "Stewart wins NL Rookie of the Year after historic 32-homer output". MLB.com. November 9, 2026.
- "Rookie royalty! McGonigle brings ROY honors back to Detroit". MLB.com. November 9, 2026.
- "Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle wins AL Rookie of the Year, Reds slugger Sal Stewart takes NL honor". Associated Press, via Yahoo Sports. November 10, 2026.
- Ackert, Kristie. "Kevin McGonigle wins AL Rookie of the Year. Tigers get a bonus, too". USA Today Sports, via Yahoo Sports. November 10, 2026.
- DeRosa, Theo. "Here are the finalists for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, more". MLB.com. November 2026.
- "Everything you need to know about the 2026 MLB Awards show". MLB.com. November 9, 2026.
- "The case for each 2026 Manager of the Year finalist". MLB.com. November 10, 2026.
- "Annual Awards" (award index by year). BBWAA. Accessed November 10, 2026.