Rookie of the Year announcement kicks off Awards Week (7 p.m. ET on MLB Network, MLB+)
Of all the annual Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards, each league's Rookie of the Year honor gives us the best glimpse into the future of the game. Many Rookies of the Year past have gone on to multiple All-Star selections and even Hall of Fame careers.
What's in store for this year's winner in each league? Well, first we need to find out who the winners are, and the announcement will be made tonight at 7 p.m. ET on MLB Network and MLB+.
Below is a list of the finalists in each league:
AL finalists
Kevin McGonigle, INF, Tigers
What McGonigle did in his rookie season, having bypassed Triple-A ball to make the Tigers’ Opening Day roster, was impressive for any player of any experience level. McGonigle led all AL players, not just rookies, with 7.1 bWAR. He became the first rookie to post at least 97 runs, 28 doubles, 18 home runs, 72 RBIs and 95 walks since Ted Williams in 1939. He was second among AL players with 6.0 offensive bWAR, trailing only Astros slugger and MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez, and sixth with 1.9 defensive bWAR.
Parker Messick, LHP, Guardians
Messick made 32 starts, tossed 186 1/3 innings (seventh in MLB) and recorded a 2.56 ERA (sixth among qualified starters). He logged 193 strikeouts and a 6.3 WAR (per Baseball Reference), which ranked second among AL rookies behind McGonigle (7.1). For comparison, Tolle had a 2.9 bWAR over 26 starts.
Payton Tolle, LHP, Red Sox
There is red all over Tolle’s Baseball Savant page. He was in the 95th percentile for xERA (2.70), 90th in xBA (.199), 96th in chase percentage (36.4), 86th in K percentage (28.4) and 98th in extension (7.4 feet). In his 26 starts, Tolle allowed two earned runs or less 16 times.
NL finalists
Carson Benge, OF, Mets
The top tool for Benge is his arm, which allowed him to lead the NL with 10 outfield assists as a right fielder. But Benge excelled in other areas, too. If you throw out the first 30 games of his career, he finished with a .302/.366/.462 slash line, along with 20 doubles, 18 homers and 16 stolen bases in 126 games. Of the four Major Leaguers to bat higher than .302 over that same stretch, only Yordan Alvarez finished with more than 18 homers. And Alvarez is decidedly not a rookie.
Sal Stewart, INF, Reds
After a one-month cameo in 2025, Stewart opened 2026 in the big leagues and his spot in manager Terry Francona's lineup -- fourth -- provided indication of how confident the Reds were in his abilities. The 22-year-old first baseman batted .263 with a .787 OPS, 32 home runs and 112 RBIs.
Stewart became the first Reds rookie -- and the 15th rookie overall -- to produce a 30-homer/100-RBI season. Each of the previous nine players that did it since the Rookie of the Year Award began (1947) won it. That list includes superstars Pete Alonso (2019), Aaron Judge (2017) and Albert Pujols (2001).
JJ Wetherholt, 2B, Cardinals
No NL rookie produced a higher fWAR than Wetherholt’s 4.6 thanks to his 17 home runs at the plate and elite defense at second base for the Cardinals. Wetherholt’s glove was his calling card in 2026. His +25 outs above average, according to Statcast, were not only tops among MLB second basemen, but second only to MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 26 among all players, regardless of defensive position. The same goes for Wetherholt’s +23 fielding run value.