We’re getting closer to finding out who will take home this season’s five major end-of-season awards from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America -- including a brand new one.
The 2026 finalists for the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Awards, the Manager of the Year Awards, the Cy Young Awards, the Relief Pitcher of the Year Awards and the Most Valuable Player Awards were announced on Monday. (The Relief Pitcher of the Year Awards are new for 2026.) The top three finishers for each award in the American League and National League were revealed live on MLB Network.
The award winners will be announced during the week of Nov. 9, starting with the Rookies of the Year.
Here's a look at all of the 2026 BBWAA awards finalists. (Finalists are listed in alphabetical order within each award category.)
AL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD
To be announced Nov. 12
Yordan Alvarez, DH (Astros)
Alvarez, who finished third in 2022 AL MVP voting, is once again a finalist for the award. The left-handed slugger set new career highs in home runs (42) and RBIs (106) while leading all qualifying hitters in batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.432) and slugging percentage (.601). He made a strong bid for MLB’s first Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012 but ultimately fell short.
Junior Caminero, 3B (Rays)
Caminero built on his breakout 2025 campaign, posting an .884 OPS with 42 homers and 101 RBIs for Tampa Bay in ’26. He played in all 162 games with a .276/.360/.524 slash line and was named an All-Star for the second straight season. After finishing in ninth place in AL MVP voting in ’25, the 23-year-old is an MVP finalist for the first time in his career.
Bobby Witt Jr., SS (Royals)
Witt was previously an AL MVP finalist in 2024, finishing as the runner-up to Yankees star Aaron Judge. This season, Witt’s offensive numbers (including a .281/.359/.441 slash line, 18 homers and 54 RBIs) didn’t quite measure up to his ’24 production, but his solid offense and excellent defense were enough to get him into the top three. Witt has finished in the top seven of AL MVP balloting in each of the past four seasons.
NL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD
To be announced Nov. 12
Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF (Cubs)
The favorite for the NL MVP Award, Crow-Armstrong posted an excellent season in all facets of the game. With 45 homers and 41 steals, he became the seventh member of the elite 40-40 club while posting a .280/.372/.570 slash line for the Cubs’ MLB-best offense. He played an excellent center field as well, leading all players in Statcast’s Outs Above Average and Fielding Run Value. Crow-Armstrong is an MVP finalist for the first time after finishing ninth in NL balloting in 2025.
Shohei Ohtani, DH/SP (Dodgers)
Ohtani has won an MVP Award in each of the past three seasons and owns four in his career, the second-most in MLB history, behind only Barry Bonds (seven). Left knee and right biceps injuries limited the Dodgers’ two-way superstar to half a season on the mound, but Ohtani pitched to a 1.79 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings. He posted his sixth consecutive 30-homer season, stole 11 bases and finished 2026 with a .275/.377/.512 slash line.
Brice Turang, 2B (Brewers)
Turang drew down-ballot NL MVP votes for the first time after an offensive breakout year in 2025, finishing 14th in the NL balloting. He’s a first-time finalist after batting .268 with 21 home runs, 100 RBIs, 19 steals and an .816 OPS. A two-time Gold Glover at second base, Turang is also one of MLB’s elite defenders. He was a key piece of a Brewers team that had MLB’s best record at 103-59.
AL CY YOUNG AWARD
To be announced Nov. 11
Dylan Cease, RHP (Blue Jays)
Cease was the AL Cy Young Award runner-up with the White Sox in 2022 and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting with the Padres in ’24. In his first season with the Blue Jays after signing a seven-year, $210 million pact with Toronto in November 2025, Cease had a 2.40 ERA in 29 starts, striking out 239 in 169 innings. He posted the highest strikeout rate (34.9%) of his career while allowing his fewest home runs (11) in any season.
Parker Messick, LHP (Guardians)
Messick looked impressive when he made his Major League debut in August 2025, putting up a 2.72 ERA in seven starts for Cleveland before the end of the season. That performance earned him a full-time role in the Guardians’ rotation in 2026, and Messick took it and ran with it. The lefty made 32 starts with a 2.56 ERA while striking out 193 hitters in 186 1/3 innings, becoming a Cy Young finalist as a rookie.
Cam Schlittler, RHP (Yankees)
The hard-throwing right-hander built on his 2.96 ERA in 14 starts as a rookie in 2025, turning himself into the AL Cy Young favorite in ’26. Schlittler led the AL with a 1.95 ERA in 33 starts and tied Cease for the second-most strikeouts in the AL with 239. In franchise history, his excellent season drew comparisons to Ron Guidry’s Cy Young-winning 1978 campaign.
NL CY YOUNG AWARD
To be announced Nov. 11
Jacob Misiorowski, RHP (Brewers)
It was an incredible year from Misiorowski, who paired never-before-seen velocity as a starter with improved command to make himself the NL Cy Young favorite. The second-year righty led the Majors with 252 strikeouts -- 13 per nine innings -- and a 1.80 ERA that was by far the best in franchise history. Opponents hit just .157 against Misiorowski, the lowest batting average allowed by a qualifying starter on record.
Chris Sale, LHP (Braves)
Throughout his 16-year career, Sale has consistently finished toward the top of Cy Young voting -- this is the ninth time he’s been a finalist and the fourth time he’s been in the top three, including his first win for the Braves in 2024. His 2.16 ERA in ’26 was behind only Misiorowski for the best in the NL, and he finished the season with an even 200 strikeouts in 162 2/3 innings.
Cristopher Sánchez, LHP (Phillies)
The NL Cy Young runner-up to the Pirates’ Paul Skenes in 2025, Sánchez was named an NL Cy Young finalist for the second straight season. He pitched 207 innings -- the second most in MLB -- and struck out 231 batters while posting a 2.91 ERA. The lefty set a new franchise record with a scoreless streak of 50 2/3 innings, which included 39 scoreless innings in his five starts in May.
AL JACKIE ROBINSON ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD
To be announced Nov. 9
Kevin McGonigle, SS/3B (Tigers)
A four-hit, two-RBI day in his MLB debut at age 21 on Opening Day was a pretty good sign McGonigle was ready for the big leagues. He showed that throughout a highly productive rookie campaign, putting up a .278/.376/.430 slash line with 18 home runs and 12 stolen bases. McGonigle could become the Tigers’ first Rookie of the Year since Michael Fulmer in 2016.
Parker Messick, LHP (Guardians)
In addition to being a Cy Young finalist, Messick is also up for Rookie of the Year. His efficiency despite a high workload is a big part of that: His 186 1/3 innings pitched were the most by a rookie hurler since Sandy Alcantara (197 1/3) for the Marlins in 2019. Messick would be the Guardians’ first Rookie of the Year since Sandy Alomar Jr. in 1990.
Payton Tolle, LHP (Red Sox)
Like Messick, Tolle got his first taste of the Major Leagues in 2025, pitching in seven games but putting up a 6.06 ERA in 16 1/3 innings. He was demonstrably better in a larger role in ’26, striking out 171 in 148 2/3 frames. The last Red Sox Rookie of the Year was Dustin Pedroia in 2007, and Pedroia won the AL MVP Award the following season.
NL JACKIE ROBINSON ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD
To be announced Nov. 9
Carson Benge, RF (Mets)
Benge put together a strong all-around rookie season for the Mets, showing off his power and speed with 20 home runs and 22 steals in his debut campaign. He batted .282 with a .776 OPS and showed off his stellar throwing arm with multiple highlight-reel outfield assists. Benge would be the Mets’ first Rookie of the Year since 2019, when Pete Alonso captured the honor after slugging 53 home runs.
Sal Stewart, 1B (Reds)
Stewart drove in 112 runs in 2026, the third most in MLB behind the Cardinals’ Alec Burleson (116) and Alonso (113). The Cincinnati infielder finished his second big league season with a .263/.330/.457 slash line after posting an .838 OPS in 18 games in 2025. With 32 homers and 15 steals, Stewart showed an excellent all-around offensive skill set. If he wins, he’d be the Reds’ first Rookie of the Year since Jonathan India in 2021.
JJ Wetherholt, 2B (Cardinals)
Wetherholt was arguably the best infield defender in the Major Leagues, and the rookie paired that with a solid offensive season: He hit .242 with 17 home runs, 14 stolen bases in 15 attempts and a .704 OPS. The last St. Louis player to win Rookie of the Year was Albert Pujols in 2001, so Wetherholt could be in good company.
AL RELIEF PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
To be announced Nov. 11
Bryan Baker, RHP (Rays)
Baker, who was acquired from the Orioles for a Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick in July 2025, was a lights-out closer in ’26. He tied for the Major League lead with 41 saves, going 41-for-44 (93.2%) in save opportunities, including 30 consecutive conversions to close the regular season. Baker finished the year with a 1.44 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings.
Cade Smith, RHP (Guardians)
It was Smith who matched Baker’s MLB-leading 41 saves, going 41-for-46 (89.1%) in save opportunities. He showed off an elite 13.0 K/9, fanning 107 batters in just 74 innings with a 1.95 ERA. After finishing ninth in the AL Cy Young voting and fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2024, Smith has emerged as one of MLB’s premier closers.
Louis Varland, RHP (Blue Jays)
Traded to Toronto from Minnesota at the 2025 Deadline, Varland took over the Blue Jays’ closer role in 2026. He proved to be an excellent fit: His 94.6% save rate (35-for-37) was tied with Aroldis Chapman for the second best among pitchers who saw at least 25 save opportunities this season.
NL RELIEF PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
To be announced Nov. 11
Jhoan Duran, RHP (Phillies)
Duran had the best season of his five-year career in his first full year with the Phillies, posting a 1.82 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. With a triple-digit fastball and a nasty “splinker” averaging 97.6 mph, Duran picked up 33 saves in 35 opportunities (94.3%) for Philadelphia and made his first All-Star team.
Trevor Megill, RHP (Brewers)
Megill was a first-time All-Star in 2025 and kept up the good work in ’26, saving 30 of 33 games (90.9%) and striking out 69 in 61 2/3 innings. After a 6.03 ERA between the Cubs and Twins from 2021-22, he has a 2.80 ERA and 81 saves in four seasons with the Brewers.
Mason Miller, RHP (Padres)
Miller was nearly unhittable in 2026, striking out 129 batters in 70 innings (16.6 K/9) in his first full season with San Diego. He tied with the Cardinals’ Riley O’Brien for the NL lead with 38 saves, going 38-for-41 in save opportunities (92.7%) and posting a career-best 1.67 ERA.
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD
To be announced Nov. 10
Kevin Cash, Rays
Cash is the longest-tenured manager in the Majors, taking over as the Rays’ skipper before the 2015 season. He has a 994-848 (.540) record in 12 seasons, including an AL-best 98-64 mark in 2026 a year after Tampa Bay won just 77 games. For the third time in his managerial career, Cash guided the Rays to an AL East title. He won the AL Manager of the Year Award in two other occasions in 2020 and ’21.
Chad Tracy, Red Sox
Tracy stepped in as Boston’s interim manager after the club parted ways with Alex Cora following a 10-17 start to the season. From there, he led the Red Sox to a 77-58 record the rest of the way – including a franchise-record-tying 15-game win streak from July 3-22 – and captured an AL Wild Card berth. On Sept. 22, the Red Sox made it official, removing Tracy’s interim tag and keeping him on as the full-time skipper.
Will Venable, White Sox
Things have been looking up lately for the White Sox, who beat the Astros in the AL Wild Card Series for their first postseason series victory since winning the 2005 World Series. After going a dismal 41-121 in 2024, the White Sox hired Venable, who orchestrated a marked improvement in 2025 (60-102) and a big leap in ’26 (84-78).
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD
To be announced Nov. 10
Don Mattingly, Phillies
Just as Rob Thomson did in 2022, Mattingly took over midseason and managed the Phillies to the playoffs. This time, Mattingly replaced Thomson, who was dismissed after a 9-19 start, and won eight of his first nine games at the helm. With a 79-55 record under Mattingly, who was the 2020 NL Manager of the Year with the Marlins, the Phillies finished with an 88-74 record and earned an NL Wild Card spot on the final day of the regular season.
Pat Murphy, Brewers
Murphy can become the first skipper since the inception of the BBWAA Manager of the Year Award in 1983 to win the honor for three consecutive years. He claimed the award in 2024 and ’25, his first two full seasons as a manager, by leading the Brewers to 93 and 97 wins, respectively, and a pair of NL Central titles. Milwaukee was even better under Murphy in 2026, claiming its fourth straight division title and winning an MLB-best 103 games.
Walt Weiss, Braves
After a 283-365 record in four years (2013-16) managing the Rockies, Weiss took over for Brian Snitker as the Braves’ manager in 2026 and helped Atlanta secure its first NL East title in three seasons. After a disappointing, injury-marred 76-86 season in 2025, the Braves went 94-68 in Weiss’ first season before beating the rival Phillies in the NL Wild Card Series.