Kevin McGonigle, Sal Stewart Win 2026 MLB Rookie of the Year Awards

McGonigle Wins American League Rookie of the Year

Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle won the 2026 American League Rookie of the Year award on Monday, November 9, 2026, receiving 28 of 30 first-place votes from members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Cleveland Guardians left-hander Parker Messick received the other two first-place votes, while Boston Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle was also a finalist.

McGonigle became the sixth Tiger to win the award and the first Detroit infielder since Lou Whitaker in 1978. He was also the first Tigers player since Michael Fulmer in 2016 to earn the honor. His selection followed a season in which the 21-year-old shortstop recorded a .278 batting average, 18 home runs, 72 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and 7.1 WAR, according to Baseball Reference.

The award also gives Detroit a selection after the first round of the 2027 draft through the Prospect Promotion Incentive. McGonigle said on a conference call that the recognition reflected the work he had put in and that he still had more goals with the team.

Stewart Takes National League Honor

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Sal Stewart won the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year award later Monday. He appeared in all 162 games and hit .263 with 32 home runs, 112 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

Stewart finished ahead of New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge and St. Louis Cardinals outfielder JJ Wetherholt. Benge posted 4.3 WAR, compared with Stewart’s 2.0, while Wetherholt finished with 4.5 WAR. Stewart’s total nevertheless accompanied a more traditional power-hitting season, including 30 home runs and 100 RBIs.

Rookie Voting and Finalists

McGonigle and Messick were the only rookies listed on all 30 AL ballots. Their first-place votes accounted for the entire ballot, with McGonigle receiving 28 and Messick two. The other finalists for McGonigle’s award were Tolle and Messick, whose season included a 2.56 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 193 strikeouts in 186⅓ innings. Tolle recorded a 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 171 strikeouts in 148⅔ innings.

The NL field was entirely composed of position players: Stewart, Benge and Wetherholt. Benge hit .282 with 20 home runs, 65 RBIs and 22 stolen bases, while Wetherholt hit .242 with 17 home runs, 51 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Baseball Savant credited Wetherholt with the second-highest total in the league in outs above average, behind Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Durability Behind the AL Vote

McGonigle’s workload was a distinguishing feature of his first season. He played in 156 games and led all American League players with 707 plate appearances, joining Stewart as the first major-league rookies to exceed 700 plate appearances since Hanley Ramirez in 2006. He was the first player age 21 or younger to do so since Joe Morgan in 1965.

His month with the fewest RBIs was still August, when he produced 19, matching his highest monthly total. He never went more than three consecutive games without a hit and recorded 14 hitting streaks of at least four games, including a 13-game streak in late April.