The Baseball Writers’ Association of America dropped the final lists for the 2026 awards, and honestly, the MVP races barely have any suspense left. The numbers emerging from the National League MVP race are ridiculous, setting up a clear path for a couple of guys to take home some serious hardware. Get ready for some major league recognition for a handful of stars.
MVP Races That Are Already Decided
Let’s just get the obvious out of the way: the MVP awards for the 2026 season are pretty much locked up. On the National League side, Pete Crow-Armstrong from the Chicago Cubs straight up ran away with it. This dude impacts the game in so many ways it’s insane. Offensively, he joined the exclusive 40/40 club, smashing 45 dingers and swiping 41 bases. Add 107 RBI and a league-best 119 runs scored, and you’ve got an offensive powerhouse. But wait, there’s more. He’s arguably the best defensive player in the game too, leading the league with 26 outs above average and preventing 23 runs, according to Statcast. He even caught an absurd 50 percent of his 5-star catch opportunities, which was also the best mark in the league. Speed, athleticism, first jump , the guy makes the toughest catches look easy.
Over in the American League, Yordan Alvarez for the Houston Astros is a lock. The man slugged the Astros into the playoffs and is absolutely taking home the MVP. He led the league in batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.432), slugging percentage (.601), OPS (1.033), total bases (341), and walks (109). He also hammered 42 home runs and drove in 106 RBI. When he picks up this award, he’s adding it to a trophy case that already includes a World Series title, Rookie of the Year, an American League Championship Series MVP, and four All-Star selections. That’s a serious resume. Other finalists for AL MVP included Junior Caminero from the Rays and Bobby Witt Jr. from the Royals, while Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers and Brice Turang from the Brewers rounded out the NL MVP list.
Cy Young Shocks and Rookie Revelations
While the MVPs might be a foregone conclusion, other awards still bring some serious buzz. Jacob Misiorowski, the flamethrower from the Milwaukee Brewers, is definitely one to watch for the National League Cy Young. This guy helped lead the Brewers to a World Series title as their ace, and now he’s in line for the league’s top pitching award. He finished with league-best marks in ERA (1.80), WHIP (0.80), and strikeouts (252). Think about this: he entered the 2026 season with only 66 innings pitched in his entire career, and he ended it as a World Series champion and arguably the best pitcher in baseball. That’s a glow-up! Chris Sale of the Braves and Cristopher Sánchez of the Phillies were also NL Cy Young finalists.
For the American League Cy Young, Dylan Cease (Blue Jays), Parker Messick (Guardians), and Cam Schlittler (Yankees) are the contenders. Rookie of the Year races saw Carson Benge (Mets), Sal Stewart (Reds), and JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals) for the NL, while Kevin McGonigle (Tigers), Parker Messick (Guardians), and Payton Tolle (Red Sox) made the cut for the AL. Managers like Don Mattingly (Phillies), Pat Murphy (Brewers), and Walt Weiss (Braves) were nominated for NL Manager of the Year, and Kevin Cash (Rays), Chad Tracy (Red Sox), and Will Venable (White Sox) for the AL. Relievers Jhoan Duran (Phillies), Trevor Megill (Brewers), and Mason Miller (Padres) got NL nods, with Bryan Baker (Rays), Cade Smith (Guardians), and Louis Varland (Blue Jays) up for the AL award.
You won’t have to wait long to see who takes home the hardware. Winners will be announced soon, and you know these guys are ready to add some more bling to their collections.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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