MLB 2026 Award Finalists: Ohtani, Crow-Armstrong and Alvarez Lead the MVP Race

Baseball’s awards season is officially underway. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America, known as the BBWAA, announced the finalists for the 2026 MLB awards on November 2, 2026, on MLB Network, and the lists are full of familiar stars, breakout rookies, and one very strong team: the Milwaukee Brewers, the reigning World Series champions, who landed four finalists.

The winners will be revealed over four nights in November: Rookie of the Year on November 9, Manager of the Year on November 10, Cy Young and the brand new Reliever of the Year on November 11, and Most Valuable Player on November 12. This is the first year of Reliever of the Year voting by the BBWAA, which gives top bullpen arms their own spotlight in awards season.

The National League MVP Race

The National League MVP finalists offer a fascinating three-way choice between a two-way superstar, a breakout young star, and a complete all-around player. Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs hit .280 with 45 home runs and 41 stolen bases, and he also won a Gold Glove for his defense in center field. That combination of power, speed, and defense made him one of the most exciting players in baseball this season.

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers is a finalist once again, and his case is built on doing two jobs at an elite level. He hit .275 with 30 home runs as a batter, and he also went 8-2 as a pitcher with a 1.79 ERA. Very few players in baseball history have combined hitting and pitching like that, and voters have rewarded Ohtani for it before.

The third finalist is Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers, another Gold Glove winner whose all-around game helped drive the Brewers to a championship season. Turang may not have the loudest home run total of the three, but his defense, baserunning, and steady bat made him central to Milwaukee’s success. In a race with two headline-grabbing stars, Turang is the candidate whose value shows up in every part of the game.

The American League MVP Race

In the American League, Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros enters as the favorite, and the numbers explain why. Alvarez hit .316 with a .432 on-base percentage and a .601 slugging percentage, adding 42 home runs and 106 runs batted in. That is a dominant season by any measure, and it made him the most feared hitter in the league for much of the year.

Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays is the second finalist, a young slugger whose power helped carry the Rays lineup. Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals completes the trio. Witt has been one of the game’s best all-around shortstops for several seasons now, combining hitting, speed, and defense, and his presence on the list is no surprise to anyone who has watched the Royals.

Alvarez is the favorite, but MVP voting can be unpredictable. Voters weigh team success, defense, baserunning, and overall value alongside raw hitting numbers, so all three finalists have a real case to make when the winner is announced on November 12.

The Cy Young Races

The National League Cy Young race has a heavy favorite in Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers, who went 16-5 with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts. Those are the kind of numbers that usually win the award, and Misiorowski’s season was a major reason Milwaukee reached the top of the sport. The other NL finalists are Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves, a veteran ace with a long track record of excellence, and Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies, who has grown into one of the league’s most reliable starters.

The American League race is more open. Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays went 11-6 with a 2.40 ERA and 239 strikeouts, a strong all-around season. Parker Messick of the Cleveland Guardians is a rookie finalist with a 2.56 ERA and 193 strikeouts, a remarkable debut campaign. Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees rounds out the trio, giving the Yankees a finalist in a pitching race that could go any of several ways.

What stands out across both leagues is the mix of experience and youth. Veterans like Sale share the stage with rookies like Messick, which speaks to how much young pitching talent has arrived in the majors in recent seasons.

Rookies, Relievers, and Managers

The National League Rookie of the Year finalists are Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds, JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Carson Benge of the New York Mets. Each of them made a real impression in his first season, and the winner announced on November 9 will join a list of past winners that includes many of the game’s biggest stars.

The new Reliever of the Year award gives closers and setup men a stage of their own. In the National League, the finalists are Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres, Trevor Megill of the Brewers, and Jhoan Duran of the Phillies. All three were trusted in the biggest moments of games this season, and the first-ever winner of this award will make a small piece of history on November 11.

Manager of the Year in the National League features Pat Murphy of the Brewers, who could win the award for a third straight year after leading Milwaukee to a World Series title. His fellow finalists are Don Mattingly of the Phillies and Walt Weiss of the Braves, both experienced managers who guided their teams through strong seasons. A third straight win for Murphy would be a rare achievement in modern baseball.

The Brewers’ Big Night Ahead

It is worth pausing on just how strong a season Milwaukee had. The Brewers are the reigning World Series champions, and they enter awards season with four finalists across the major categories: Turang for MVP, Misiorowski for Cy Young, Megill for Reliever of the Year, and Murphy for Manager of the Year. That spread, from the field to the mound to the bullpen to the dugout, tells the story of a complete team.

Championship teams often dominate awards voting, but four finalists is still an impressive haul. It reflects a roster built on pitching, defense, and depth, and a manager who got the most out of that roster. Whether the Brewers convert those finalist spots into trophies will be one of the main storylines of awards week.

Other teams have their own stories too. The Dodgers and Cubs each have an MVP finalist, the Astros have the AL MVP favorite, and the Rays, Royals, Blue Jays, Guardians, and Yankees all have a finalist in a major race. Awards season is a chance for fans of every team to celebrate a great individual season, even if their club did not win it all.

How the Winners Are Chosen

BBWAA members vote on these awards, with ballots cast before the postseason begins so that playoff performance does not sway the results. Voters rank their choices, and the player or manager with the most points wins. That system rewards sustained excellence over the long regular season rather than a hot week in October.

The staggered announcement schedule adds to the drama. Rookie of the Year comes first on November 9, then Manager of the Year on November 10, then Cy Young and Reliever of the Year on November 11, and finally MVP on November 12. By the time MVP night arrives, fans will already have debated several results, and the biggest prize of all will close out the week.

For the players involved, these awards matter beyond the trophy. An MVP or Cy Young win can define a career, boost a player’s Hall of Fame case, and become a permanent part of how a season is remembered. For rookies, winning can mark the start of a long and successful career.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the 2026 MLB award winners be announced?

Rookie of the Year winners will be announced on November 9, Manager of the Year on November 10, Cy Young and Reliever of the Year on November 11, and MVP on November 12. The finalists were announced on November 2, 2026, by the BBWAA on MLB Network.

Who are the MVP finalists?

In the National League, the finalists are Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers, and Brice Turang of the Brewers. In the American League, they are Yordan Alvarez of the Astros, Junior Caminero of the Rays, and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals. Alvarez is viewed as the AL favorite.

Who is the favorite for NL Cy Young?

Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers is the heavy favorite after going 16-5 with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts. Chris Sale of the Braves and Cristopher Sanchez of the Phillies are the other NL finalists.

What is new about the 2026 awards?

This is the first year of BBWAA voting for Reliever of the Year. The NL finalists are Mason Miller of the Padres, Trevor Megill of the Brewers, and Jhoan Duran of the Phillies, and the winners will be announced on November 11 alongside the Cy Young winners.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 MLB award finalists offer something for every kind of baseball fan: a two-way marvel in Ohtani, a breakout star in Crow-Armstrong, a dominant hitter in Alvarez, a runaway pitching favorite in Misiorowski, and a championship team in Milwaukee with finalists at every level of the game. Add in a brand new Reliever of the Year award and a possible third straight Manager of the Year win for Pat Murphy, and awards week should be well worth watching.

When the winners are revealed from November 9 to November 12, some favorites will win and at least one result will probably surprise. That is part of what makes awards season fun. For now, the finalists themselves deserve recognition for seasons that stood out in a long and demanding year.

Read more on The Akron Magazine. For official award news, see MLB.com.