We're in the home stretch of the 2026 campaign, meaning this is the last chance for players to pad their resumes for award season. BBWAA members will select the major award winners in each league the day after the regular season ends.
Here, we take stock of all the races - the favorites, the potential upsets, and the close races - ahead of the season's final 11 days.
AL Cy Young
The favorite: Cam Schlittler, Yankees
Schlittler has cemented himself as the frontrunner in September, allowing just two runs with two walks and 27 strikeouts over 21 innings. The right-hander also recorded his eighth scoreless start of the season in his last turn through the rotation. As a result, his 1.95 ERA leads the AL, and he's one of only two pitchers in the majors with an ERA below 2.00. The 25-year-old ace also paces AL pitchers in fWAR (5.9) and WHIP (0.90) while sitting fourth in strikeouts (228) and opponents' batting average (.185).
The contenders: Dylan Cease, Blue Jays; Drew Rasmussen, Rays; Parker Messick, Guardians
The race between Schlittler and Cease was tight for most of the season. Although Cease leads the AL in both strikeouts (236) and opponents' batting average (.178), he's been laboring through starts in September, amassing just 16 innings over three outings. Rasmussen, whose 0.92 WHIP is second to Schlittler, and standout rookie Messick are battling to be the third finalist.
NL Cy Young
The favorite: Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers
Misiorowski is the one to beat in the NL thanks to an unprecedented combination of power and control that makes him baseball's most intimidating pitcher. The 24-year-old is the first starter in the Statcast era to throw over 1,000 pitches at 100 mph or harder in a single season, and he's cut his BB/9 in half from his rookie campaign. The Miz also leads all qualified starters in fWAR (6.3), ERA (1.89), strikeouts (243), K/9 (13.1), WHIP (0.81), and FIP (2.19).
The contenders: Chris Sale, Braves; Jesús Luzardo, Phillies; Cristopher Sánchez, Phillies; Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers
Sale's renaissance in his mid-to-late 30s continues to amaze, as he attempts to win his second Cy Young in three years. The left-hander sits second in ERA (2.18), third in WHIP (0.99), and third in fWAR (5.7) among qualified NL hurlers. Sánchez, whose 5.8 fWAR is second to only Misiorowski, could finish runner-up for a second straight year. Yamamoto, last year's World Series MVP, ranks second in WHIP (0.87) and opponents' batting average (.180). Luzardo was making a case to be a finalist but landed on the injured list with a shoulder issue that could cost him the rest of the regular season.
AL MVP
The favorite: Yordan Alvarez, Astros
If Alvarez becomes just the second hitter in the last 58 years to win a Triple Crown, this race is over. The 29-year-old's tied with Chandler Simpson with a .310 average, while he's only two homers and four RBIs behind the AL leaders in those categories. He's also topping the majors in all four slash-stat categories and, in the ultimate sign of respect, intentional walks. Alvarez has become a more polished, patient all-around hitter, with just 12 more strikeouts than walks, and he should score 100 runs for the first time in his career. The vote will be closer if Alvarez doesn't win the Triple Crown, but he also doesn't necessarily need that accomplishment to be crowned MVP.
The contenders: Pete Alonso, Orioles; Junior Caminero, Rays; Cam Schlittler, Yankees; Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
Caminero will likely be the runner-up, and he's got the best chance to upset Alvarez. The 23-year-old has a compelling case: an AL-high 41 homers, plus 96 RBIs and a .898 OPS for the league's best team. Close behind Caminero is Alonso, who's been worth every penny Baltimore gave him this winter and has put the disappointing Orioles on his back down the stretch. Witt won't win it despite leading the AL in fWAR, but he could be a finalist as the lone bright spot on an otherwise bad Royals team. Schlittler will surely get MVP support, both for his numbers and his value to the injury-riddled Yankees.
NL MVP
The favorite: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs
Crow-Armstrong is flirting with history as he heads toward an inevitable MVP honor. The star outfielder is three steals away from becoming the seventh player in MLB history to record a 40-40 season, and the last two major leaguers to accomplish the feat - Shohei Ohtani (2024) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023) - took home the award. With a 10.4 fWAR, PCA is also aiming to be just the fifth player over the last 17 years to put up a 10-plus fWAR season. Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Mookie Betts, and Mike Trout are the others.
The contenders: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers; Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers; Elly De La Cruz, Reds
Ohtani wore down in the second half after giving so much to the Dodgers over the last two years. The two-way star hasn't pitched for months and is currently sidelined with multiple injuries. Offensively, he's putting up his worst season since 2022. Though 30 homers with a .902 OPS are really good numbers, we've come to expect greatness from Ohtani. Misiorowski's in the conversation for the same reasons Schlittler is. De La Cruz rounds out our finalists, as he's finishing the season on a tear by slashing .426/.483/.907 with seven homers in September to raise his fWAR to 6.1.
AL Rookie of the Year
The favorite: Kevin McGonigle, Tigers
The AL Rookie of the Year race is shaping up to be the closest of all the major awards, but McGonigle is probably the favorite right now. The 22-year-old owns the third-best fWAR in the AL and ranks top-6 in hits (155), walks (91), runs (94), and OBP (.376). The new face of the Tigers has also hit 17 homers and stolen 12 bases. Armed with a fantastic eye at the plate, he's recorded one more walk than strikeouts. Additionally, McGonigle has played plus defense at both shortstop and third base, moving between the two positions with ease throughout the season.
The contenders: Chase DeLauter, Guardians; Parker Messick, Guardians; Munetaka Murakami, White Sox; Kazuma Okamoto, Blue Jays; Tristan Peters, White Sox; Payton Tolle, Red Sox
The six names above are just a few of the contenders challenging McGonigle in this race. Messick, a potential Cy Young finalist, is his biggest threat. If Messick's among the three best pitchers in his league, how can he not win Rookie of the Year? Meanwhile, DeLauter has broken out as a star in Cleveland, Peters was a surprising and worthy All-Star, and Tolle has shone at the top of Boston's rotation. Murakami and Okamoto have also both crossed the 30-homer mark in their first MLB campaigns.
NL Rookie of the Year
The favorite: Sal Stewart, Reds
Stewart is the 10th rookie (based on modern-day rookie eligibility rules) to have a 30-homer, 100-RBI season since this award was first handed out in 1947, per Stathead. All nine previous rookies on that list won their league's Rookie of the Year, and Stewart is likely to join them. His 108 RBIs lead all first-year players by a wide margin and rank second in MLB, while he sits in the top six in his league in homers, total bases, and plate appearances. The 22-year-old has also shown defensive versatility, playing over 300 innings at both corner infield spots and occasionally filling in at second. Stewart has stood out in a crowded and talented field of NL rookies, and he's beginning to pull away from the pack.
The contenders: Carson Benge, Mets; Logan Henderson, Brewers; Nolan McLean, Mets; JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals
Stewart may be in the pole position, but he won't run away with it in a year featuring a lot of great rookie performances. Wetherholt's been at the front of the pack thanks to his elite glove at second base and solid offense, while Benge has been making a huge push lately as he tries to complete a 20-20 season. Benge's teammate McLean has kept the Mets' rotation afloat, and that alone will garner votes. Don't sleep on Henderson, either. The right-hander has made only 17 starts due to injuries, but he's still near the top of the rookie pitching leaderboards and has established himself as a true frontline starter alongside Misiorowski for the league-best Brewers.
