Reds' Sal Stewart and Tigers' Kevin McGonigle Win Rookie Honors

Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds received 20 of the 30 available first-place votes to win the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year award. He was named the winner on Monday night during the Baseball Writers Association of America awards week. Stewart defeated Carson Benge of the New York Mets and JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals in the final tally.

In the American League, Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers claimed the corresponding honor with an overwhelming majority of the vote. He secured 28 of the 30 first-place ballots, earning 204 points out of a possible 210. Parker Messick of the Cleveland Guardians and Payton Tolle of the Boston Red Sox finished second and third, respectively.

Stewart built his case for the award on consistent offensive production across the full 162-game schedule. He posted a .263 batting average, a .330 on-base percentage, and a .457 slugging percentage. His line included 32 home runs, 112 runs batted in, 25 doubles, and 15 stolen bases. Stewart joined a rare group of only 15 rookies in history to hit at least 30 home runs and record 100 RBIs in a single season.

His competitors also delivered strong statistical outputs. Benge, a 2024 first-round draft pick, hit .282 with 20 home runs and 22 steals while accumulating 4.3 wins above replacement. Wetherholt contributed 4.5 wins above replacement in 139 games, finishing with a .242 average, 17 home runs, and 14 steals.

McGonigle's season was defined by his all-around value to the Tigers. The 21-year-old Pennsylvania native finished with a .278 average, a .376 on-base percentage, and a .430 slugging percentage. He collected 97 runs, 72 runs batted in, 28 doubles, five triples, and 18 home runs. He also drew 95 walks against 100 strikeouts.

The former first-round pick led all American League position players with 7.1 wins above replacement. He was selected as an All-Star and signed an eight-year contract extension worth $150 million just weeks after his debut. Because he accumulated a full year of major league service time, the Tigers will receive a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick in the 2027 draft.

The American League's losing candidates were both pitchers. Messick finished with a 12-9 record, a 2.56 earned run average, a 1.06 walks plus hits per innings pitched, and 193 strikeouts in 186 one-third innings. He remains a top contender for the Cy Young award. Tolle finished with a 9-6 record, a 3.03 earned run average, a 1.10 walks plus hits per innings pitched, and 171 strikeouts in 148 two-thirds innings.

The voting body for these awards consists of 30 members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, with two writers representing each MLB city per league. Votes were submitted before the postseason began, meaning only regular-season statistics were considered in the final results. Both Stewart and McGonigle earned their respective league awards based on these pre-playoff totals.