Major League Baseball and the Baseball Writers Association of America have announced the finalists for the 2026 major awards, including Most Valuable Player, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Relief Pitcher of the Year, and Manager of the Year. Voting concluded before the postseason, and the league is revealing the top three vote-getters in each category ahead of the official award announcements scheduled for November 9–12.
American League MVP Finalists
Yordan Alvarez (Astros) led the majors with a .316/.432/.601 slash line, 42 home runs, 106 RBI, and 105 runs in 158 games. Junior Caminero (Rays) hit .276/.360/.524 with 42 homers, 101 RBI, and 100 runs while playing all 162 games. Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals) posted a .281/.359/.441 line with 33 doubles, 18 home runs, 54 RBI, 94 runs, 45 steals, and 6.7 WAR in his fourth straight top-seven finish.
American League Cy Young Finalists
Dylan Cease (Blue Jays) went 11-6 with a 2.40 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts in 169 innings. Parker Messick (Guardians) was 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 193 strikeouts in 186⅓ innings. Cam Schlittler (Yankees) led the AL with a 1.95 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts in 193⅔ innings, going 14-6.
American League Rookie of the Year Finalists
Kevin McGonigle (Tigers) led AL rookies with 7.1 WAR, hitting .278/.376/.420 with 18 home runs, 72 RBI, and 97 runs. Parker Messick (Guardians) maintained rookie eligibility and excelled with a 2.56 ERA in 32 starts. Payton Tolle (Red Sox) posted a 3.03 ERA with 171 strikeouts in 148⅔ innings.
American League Relief Pitcher of the Year Finalists
Bryan Baker (Rays) led the majors with 41 saves and a 1.44 ERA. Cade Smith (Guardians) also recorded 41 saves with a 1.95 ERA and 107 strikeouts. Louis Varland (Blue Jays) posted a 1.27 ERA and converted 35 of 37 save chances.
American League Manager of the Year Finalists
Kevin Cash (Rays) guided Tampa Bay to 98 wins and the AL's best record after two playoff misses. Chad Tracy (Red Sox) turned a 10-17 start into a playoff berth, winning 32 of 37 games at one stretch. Will Venable (White Sox) improved Chicago by 24 wins to reach the playoffs after a 121-loss season.
National League MVP Finalists
Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs) hit .280/.372/.570 with 45 home runs, 107 RBI, 119 runs, and 9.8 WAR, joining the 40-40 club. Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) batted .275/.377/.512 with 30 homers and 81 RBI while also going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA on the mound. Brice Turang (Brewers) posted a .268/.366/.450 line with 21 home runs, 100 RBI, and 7.3 WAR.
National League Cy Young Finalists
Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers) led the majors with a 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 252 strikeouts in 174⅔ innings, going 16-5. Chris Sale (Braves) was 14-9 with a 2.16 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 162⅔ innings. Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies) led MLB with 8.1 pitcher WAR, finishing 18-7 with a 2.91 ERA in 207 innings.
National League Rookie of the Year Finalists
Carson Benge (Mets) hit .282/.346/.430 with 20 home runs, 22 steals, and 4.3 WAR. Sal Stewart (Reds) hit 32 home runs with 111 RBI, becoming one of only 15 rookies ever with 30+ homers and 100+ RBI. JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals) accumulated 4.5 WAR with strong defense and 17 home runs.
National League Relief Pitcher of the Year Finalists
Jhoan Duran (Phillies) converted 33 of 35 saves with a 1.82 ERA. Mason Miller (Padres) struck out 129 in 70 innings with a 1.67 ERA and 38 saves. Trevor Megill (Brewers) secured 30 saves with a 2.63 ERA and 0.89 WHIP.
National League Manager of the Year Finalists
Don Mattingly (Phillies) took over a 9-19 team and went 79-55 to reach the playoffs. Pat Murphy (Brewers) seeks a third straight award after guiding Milwaukee to a franchise-record 103 wins. Walt Weiss (Braves) led Atlanta to a 94-68 record and an NL East title after a 76-86 season.
