Now that the MLB All-Star Game is over, we are in the home stretch of the 2026 season. The playing of the Midsummer Classic means that we have reached the unofficial midway point of the 2026 campaign. With that in mind, let's look at the individual awards that will be handed out when the season concludes and determine who we think should win, as well as who will actually take home the hardware.
American League
Comeback Player of the Year
My winner: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
Expected winner: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
Just one season after he was limited to only 48 games due to a hand injury and an ankle sprain, Alvarez has returned to All-Star form, literally! He has already appeared in 96 games this season, which was twice the number of appearances he had last year. He is near the top of the AL in home runs, batting average, hits, OPS, and WAR. This guy is the clear-cut Comeback Player of the Year in the American League.
Reliever of the Year:
My winner: Cade Smith, Cleveland Guardians
Expected winner: Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox
We hit our first snag in the predictions. It feels like Aroldis Chapman will win the Reliever of the Year award for the third time in his career because he is a household name who has converted over 90% of his save opportunities. In reality, though, Smith is more deserving of this award. He might have a lower save percentage than Chapman, but he also has the most saves in baseball this season (28). In all likelihood, though, he'll be hurt by his 2.84 ERA.
Hank Aaron Award
My winner: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
Expected winner: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
Once again, Alvarez goes two-for-two in terms of expectations and my predictions. The Hank Aaron Award is given to the top hitter in each league, and Alvarez checks all the boxes. Amongst American Leaguers, he ranks tied for first in hits (111), first in home runs (31), first in RBIs (70), and first in OPS (1.059). The only guy that comes close to Alvarez is Ben Rice, and he trails him in every key statistical category.
Silver Slugger Award
My winner: Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays
Expected winner: Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays
Unlike the Hank Aaron Award, players at every position receive a Silver Slugger Award. However, one player receives the most Silver Slugger Awards at his position and is dubbed the AL Silver Slugger winner. In that case, the hardware will likely go to Junior Caminero. He is head and shoulders the best offensive third baseman in the American League, with the most home runs (28) and the only OPS above .900 (.927).
Gold Glove Award
My winner: Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox
Expected winner: Cole Young, Seattle Mariners
Similar to the Silver Slugger award, the Gold Glove is awarded to a player at each position in both leagues. Out of all fielders in the AL, Ceddanne Rafaela is the only player with a Defensive WAR, or DWAR, of at least 2.0. Unfortunately, Cole Young has a 1.5 DWAR and has 12 Defensive Runs Saved this season, according to OddShark, which is the third-most in all of baseball. Then again, if Rafaela continues to build on his DWAR, the race for the AL Gold Glove Award will end up being closer than anticipated.
Manager of the Year:
My winner: Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays
Expected winner: Will Venable, Chicago White Sox
Kevin Cash clearly deserves this award. He has the Rays playing like the best team in the Majors, even though they have the eighth-lowest payroll in the MLB. At the same time, the job that Will Venable has done in Chicago cannot be ignored. On July 15th, 2025, the Sox were the worst team in the AL with a 32-65 record. One year later, they not only have a winning record (50-45), but they are also firmly in the playoff race as the top team currently in the AL Central. The feel-good story of the Chicago White Sox makes Will Venable the favorite to win this award.
Rookie of the Year:
My winner: Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox
Expected winner: Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers
This is the award where I am letting personal feelings dictate my selection. Munetaka Murakami is simply electric. Every time he steps up to the plate, you think he's going to go yard. There's no doubt that if he had not missed the last 35 games, he would be at the forefront of Rookie of the Year talks. With so much time missed due to injury, though, McGonigle will win this award. He has the fourth-best WAR in baseball at just 21 years old (4.6). Amongst shortstops, he ranks in the top three in hits (third, 99), batting average (third, .283), and on-base percentage (first, .392). He's a rookie who already looks like a seasoned veteran.
Cy Young Award
My winner: Dylan Cease, Toronto Blue Jays
Expected winner: Cam Schlittler, New York Yankees
The emergence of Cam Schlittler has been undeniable. He has the best ERA of any starting pitcher in the American League (2.05). But Dylan Cease has been better recently. Over the last 30 days, Cease has had a 1.78 ERA, which is good for fifth in the AL. Plus, he is holding opponents to the second-lowest batting average in the American League over the last month (.144). Schlittler has not been nearly as good during that stretch, with a .214 batting average allowed and a 2.73 ERA. If these trends continue, Cease will overtake Schlitter as the Cy Young favorite in the AL. Then again, if this is just a small outlier performance, and Schlittler can return to form after the All-Star Break, he will win the trophy.
MVP
My winner: Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays
Expected winner: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
This is why I hate the way MVP awards are decided. They always go to the best player and not the player who is actually the most valuable to his team. Yordan Alvarez has the best odds to win the American League MVP award at -165. However, the Astros are four games below .500. Meanwhile, the Rays are the best team in the AL, and Junior Caminero has been one of the three best players in all of baseball over the last month. He is tied for fourth in the league in home runs this season (28). He's also seventh in slugging percentage (.555) and sixth in OPS (.927). Unfortunately for Caminero, Alvarez has the second-most homers in baseball (31) and the highest OPS in the league (1.059). Even though Caminero has been more valuable to a team that is playing much better, Alvarez will probably be the AL MVP.
National League
Comeback Player of the Year
My winner: Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies
Expected winner: Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves
Zack Wheeler is getting no love in what could end up being his final season as a pro. After missing the end of the 2025 campaign with a blood clot near his right shoulder, Wheeler has been fantastic this season with the best winning percentage in the league amongst starting pitchers (.909). Amongst NL pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched, he has the fourth-best ERA (2.13). At the same time, Michael Harris II has bounced back from a disappointing 2025 with a better batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. Both guys are deserving of this award.
Reliever of the Year
My winner: Mason Miller, San Diego Padres
Expected winner: Mason Miller, San Diego Padres
There's no question that Mason Miller is the best reliever in baseball. He is a perfect 25 for 25 in save opportunities and has a preposterous 0.91 ERA. Amongst pitchers who have thrown for at least 30 innings, only Robert Suarez has a better ERA, but he has only four saves, compared to Miller's 25. Lastly, Mason Miller is tied for 18th in WHIP (0.78) amongst every player in the MLB who has thrown at least one pitch this season. He has been ridiculous, and it is a virtual guarantee that the Padres will win when he takes the mound in a close game.
Hank Aaron Award
My winner: Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
Expected winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
Kyle Schwarber has been the best power-hitter in baseball this season with a league-leading 32 home runs and the fourth-best OPS in the MLB (.927). But - as we discussed previously - this award is given to the player who is the best all-around hitter in baseball, not just the best power-hitter. In the National League, that honor goes to Pete Crow-Armstrong, who is fifth in the MLB in OPS (.917) while also ranking 12th in batting average (.291), fifth in on-base percentage (.386), and tied for fifth in hits (104). If this award favored power-hitting, then Kyle Schwarber would win it.
Silver Slugger Award
My winner: James Wood, Washington Nationals
Expected winner: Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies
James Wood has been the most exciting player on a Nationals team that has the best offense in the MLB. Wood has the second-most homers in the NL (28), the highest slugging percentage (.575), and the highest OPS (.985). The problem is Jordan Walker is fairly close to him in terms of skill and production, which means Wood will end up losing some votes to him. That will not be the case for Hunter Goodman, who is hands-down the best offensive catcher in the National League. He has 12 more homers than the next closest guy and the highest OPS of all catchers in the MLB with at least 200 at-bats (.862). The gap between Goodman and the next-best catcher is what will make him the NL's Silver Slugger.
Gold Glove Award
My winner: Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants
Expected winner: Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers
There is no wrong choice for the NL Gold Glove winner. Very little separates Pages and Chapman. Pages is tied with Ceddanne Rafaela for the highest DWAR of all players in baseball (2.0). But Chapman is no slouch either, with a 1.8 DWAR. Then again, Chapman has a .962 fielding percentage, while Pages is at .996. The MLB loves to showcase the Dodgers, so Pages will get the nod over Chapman, who is stuck on the island of irrelevancy with the San Francisco Giants.
Manager of the Year
My winner: Pat Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers
Expected winner: Don Mattingly, Milwaukee Brewers
Pat Murphy is on course to become the first manager in MLB history to win the award three years in a row. After the Brewers lost Freddy Peralta and Rhys Hoskins, it looked like Milwaukee would take a step, but they're still one of the best teams in the National League. However, Don Mattingly has completely changed the trajectory of the Phillies' season. They are now one of the top squads in baseball and are a few games away from overtaking the Atlanta Braves for the best record in the NL East. Even if Philadelphia doesn't win its division, Don Mattingly will win this award as long as the Phillies make the postseason.
Rookie of the Year
My winner: Sal Stewart, Cincinnati Reds
Expected winner: JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals
Once again, there is not a lot that separates these two. Stewart has only two more hits this season than Wetherholt. However, Stewart has significantly more home runs (19 vs. 13) and RBIs (65 vs. 36). Conversely, Wetherholt's batting average, on-base percentage, and runs scored are higher than Stewart's. The difference, and ultimate deciding factor, is the WAR rating. Wetherholt is tied for 10th in the MLB, while Sal Stewart isn't even in the top 50.
Cy Young Award
My winner: Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers
Expected winner: Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers
This is possibly the easiest choice of any award that will be handed out this season. Jacob Misiorowski has set the baseball world on fire with insane pitch speed, gaudy strikeout numbers, and a fantastic ERA to boot. He leads the Majors in strikeouts with 167 already this season. He also has the best WHIP (0.76) and lowest opponent batting average (.148) allowed amongst starting pitchers. Lastly, Misiorowski has the best ERA in the MLB of 1.62, making him the only starter in the league with an ERA below 2.00. The Miz is the most exciting pitcher in baseball, and he is well on his way to winning his first Cy Young Award.
MVP
My winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
Expected winner: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
This might as well be called the Shohei Ohtani award because he will undoubtedly be the National League MVP when the season ends. His 1.79 ERA is absurd, and he also has the fifth-best OPS in the Majors (.967). Regardless, I am giving the nod to Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has arguably been more valuable to the Cubs than Ohtani has been to the Dodgers. PCA is 18th in the league batting average (.291), 12th in on-base percentage (.386), 14th in slugging (.531), and ninth in OPS (.917). He's also a terrific fielder on top of all that. Hell, he has the highest WAR of any player in baseball (5.8)! But when you play in the same league as Ohtani, who continues to do things we have never seen in MLB history, your fantastic season ends up playing second fiddle.
