A little more than two months into the 2026 season, the Rookie of the Year races in both leagues are already shaping up to be epic. And if the results of the latest ROY poll are any indicator, it could be an entertaining ride.
Our second ROY poll of the season brings a pretty big shakeup, especially at the top. Though the battles for the top spots are very close, both previous favorites have been unseated while other names have fallen off and new names have been added. Drama!
A panel of 32 MLB.com experts cast their votes based not only on results so far, but also on how things are expected to play out the rest of the season.
Voters ranked their top five picks in each league on a 5-4-3-2-1 scale -- five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on. Here are the results.
All stats are through Sunday.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Kevin McGonigle, Tigers (120 total vote points, 14 first-place votes)
McGonigle has surged into the lead after finishing second in the first poll. The jump comes as he's compiled a .333 average and a .929 OPS over his past 11 games through Sunday. His .291 average and .394 on-base percentage for the season are both best among AL rookies with at least 200 plate appearances. Meanwhile, his 101 total bases are tied for second-most among all AL rookies.
2. Munetaka Murakami, White Sox (119 total vote points, 11 first-place votes)
Murakami has been on the injured list since May 30 with a right hamstring strain and is expected to be out at least until the end of June. But he did plenty before the injury to become a front-runner for the AL ROY award. The lefty slugger still leads all MLB rookies with 20 homers and a .938 OPS, and led the group with 41 RBIs entering play Monday.
3. Parker Messick, Guardians (66 total vote points, 6 first-place votes)
Messick entered the week leading AL rookies in wins (six), innings (75) and strikeouts (78), and was second in ERA (2.40) and WHIP (1.07). The lefty has allowed three earned runs or fewer in every start but one and has seven starts in which he allowed one or no earned runs. He jumps two spots in the rankings this month after debuting at No. 5 in the first poll.
4. Travis Bazzana, Guardians (62 total vote points, 1 first-place vote)
Bazzana had a relative few games under his belt before the first poll (he debuted April 28), so this marks his first appearance in the list. After a slow first two weeks in the bigs, Bazzana has adjusted to the league quite well. Since May 13, he's hitting .304 with an .841 OPS and 12 extra-base hits. All three marks are best among AL rookies with at least 85 plate appearances during that span.
5. Payton Tolle, Red Sox (37 total vote points)
Tolle's 2026 debut didn't come until late April, but his work has been impressive enough to land him in a ranked spot. He's made eight starts and his 2.28 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 2.66 FIP and .192 opponents' average lead all qualified MLB rookies. The lefty has allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his eight starts.
Also receiving votes: Samuel Basallo, Orioles; Trey Yasavage, Blue Jays; Kazuma Okamoto, Blue Jays; Chase DeLauter, Guardians; Colt Emerson, Mariners; Gage Jump, A's; Tristan Peters, White Sox
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals (120 total vote points, 13 first-place votes)
Since homering on Opening Day in his MLB debut, the Cardinals' top prospect entering the season made known that he'd be in this discussion all season. His .358 on-base percentage is the highest among qualified NL rookies while his .753 OPS ranks third. After a slowdown for most of May, Wetherholt has hit .333 with an .807 OPS over his past seven games entering Tuesday. Meanwhile, his nine homers are second-most among NL rookies.
2. Sal Stewart, Reds (112 total vote points, 8 first-place votes)
Stewart keeps his same spot from last month but has earned more first-place votes. It's easy to see why. He leads all NL rookies with 12 homers, 39 RBIs and an .801 OPS. He also leads the group with 25 extra-base hits. Over his final 12 games of May, Stewart hit .364 with a 1.030 OPS. This was helped by a 15.2 percent barrel rate, which ranks in baseball's 90th percentile.
3. Nolan McLean, Mets (94 total vote points, 6 first-place votes)
McLean led the NL rookie class in the first poll, but drops two spots this time. He's still plenty good, however. The righty's 82 strikeouts are easily tops among NL rookies, as is his .202 opponents' average, while his 1.11 WHIP was just a tick off the group lead entering Monday. He's coming off consecutive starts allowing just one earned run.
4. Konnor Griffin, Pirates (70 total vote points, 3 first-place votes)
Griffin, who also placed fourth in the first ROY poll, was plugging right along as a productive hitter for the Pirates before a forearm strain sidelined him at the end of May. He had been heating up, too, hitting .321 over his last 14 games before the injury. Griffin's .270 average leads NL rookies with at least 150 plate appearances, while his 14 stolen bases are most among all MLB rookies.
5. Carson Benge, Mets (42 first-place votes; 1 first-place vote)
Benge has really come on strong of late, which has led to his debut on this list. He closed out May with a flourish and has kept it going into June. Over his past 10 games entering Monday, Benge has hit .366 with 10 homers and a 1.165 OPS. This included a 5-for-5 performance on Sunday against the Padres, which raised his season OPS by 51 percentage points to .733, which now ranks fourth among qualified NL rookies.
Also receiving votes: TJ Rumfield, Rockies; Foster Griffin, Nationals (1 first-place vote); Bryce Eldridge, Giants; Moisés Ballesteros, Cubs; Ryan Waldschmidt, D-backs; Logan Henderson, Brewers; Bradgley Rodriguez, Padres