MLB Midseason Awards

The MLB All-Star break marks the halfway point of the baseball regular season, even if it is closer to 60%. It’s time to give out some MLB midseason awards to the players who have been performing exceptionally well at this point in the 2026 season.

MVP

NL: Shohei Ohtani – Dodgers

This award will be Ohtani’s to lose every year that he stays healthy and continues to be a two-way player. There is nothing more valuable than a pitcher who can hit, or a hitter who can pitch. Sometimes lost in the fact that Ohtani does both is the fact that he is elite at both. His OPS is .953, third in the NL, and his ERA is 1.79, also third in the NL among starters.

(Runner-up: Pete Crow-Armstrong – Cubs)

AL: Yordan Alvarez – Astros

The fact that Alvarez is second in the AL in fWAR, while being a DH, should tell you what you need to know about what he gives the Astros at the plate. He is the only player in the American League with an OPS over one, and he also leads the league in home runs. Even when he doesn’t homer, he hits the ball hard, as he is the league leader in average exit velocity.

(Runner-up: Bobby Witt Jr. – Royals)

Cy Young

NL: Jacob Misiorowski – Brewers

Misiorowski has dominated the league this season. He leads the league in most major stats, including ERA, WHIP, and K/9. Not to mention his velocity, which is something we have never seen before. His average fastball sits at 100.5 mph, which is over two mph faster than any other starter in the league.

(Runner-up: Cristopher Sanchez – Phillies)

AL: Cam Schlittler – Yankees

The AL Cy Young race is a bit tighter, but it mostly comes down to the question of consistency versus sheer dominance. I went with consistency here, as Schlittler has started all year as the ace for the Yankees and has the numbers to back it up. Some of his stats aren’t as eye-popping as others, but over the long term, he has been keeping runs off the board.

(Runner-up: Dylan Cease – Blue Jays)

Rookie of the Year

NL: JJ Wetherholt – Cardinals

Wetherholt made the Cardinals’ roster out of spring training as a rookie and has been nothing short of phenomenal in his big-league time. He is among NL leaders in fWAR, thanks to a combination of his solid bat and stellar defense up the middle in the infield.

(Runner-up: Sal Stewart – Reds)

AL: Kevin McGonigle – Tigers

McGonigle has a strong case to be one of the best shortstops in baseball right now, and it’s in his rookie season. The sky is the limit for the young Tiger, who doesn’t chase at the plate, leading to an OBP at almost .400. He also gets it done with his legs, which shows both on the bases and in his range at short.

(Runner-up: Munetaka Murakami – White Sox)

Reliever of the Year

NL: Mason Miller – Padres

Miller has been about as dominant as you can be out of the pen as a closer. He started off the season with an impressive scoreless streak, and even though he has given up a few runs since then, he remains a lockdown arm for the Padres. Even with a fastball that is tops in the league in velocity, his best pitch may be his wipeout slider.

(Runner-up: Jhoan Duran – Phillies)

AL: Louis Varland – Blue Jays

The trade that the Twins made last year to send this guy to Toronto didn’t make a ton of sense then. It makes even less sense now that Varland is looking like the best relief pitcher in the American League. His ERA is hovering right around one, and he doesn’t give up the long ball.

(Runner-up: Cade Smith – Guardians)

Hank Aaron Award

NL: James Wood – Nationals

There’s an absolute monster leading the way for the league-best Nationals offense, and his name is James Wood. Wood is big, strong, and fast. Most notably, he is in the 100th percentile (best in the league) in average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard hit rate. There hasn’t been a whole lot of talk around Wood compared to other superstars, but he has been the best offensive performer in the NL.

(Runner-up: Kyle Schwarber – Phillies)

AL: Yordan Alvarez – Astros

Considering he is a DH, everything that I wrote to make the case for Alvarez as the AL MVP also applies here. There isn’t a scarier hitter in the league if you’re an opposing pitcher.

(Runner-up: Ben Rice – Yankees)

Manager of the Year

One important award that doesn’t involve players I’d like to highlight is the  Manager of the Year award. Typically, this award favors managers who have taken their teams up a level, from bad to good, or from good to great.

NL: Clayton McCullough – Marlins

The Marlins have had a rough go of it the last few years. They continue to be at the bottom of the league in payroll, and for the most part, their record has reflected that. Not this year, though. After a slow start, they have been one of the best teams in the league the past two months. McCullough and his coaching staff are clearly pushing the right buttons as of late, as some huge jumps in production from multiple players will show.

(Runner-up: Pat Murphy – Brewers)

AL: Kevin Cash – Rays 

The Rays were not expected to be a bottom-of-the-barrel team; they seldom are, but they were projected as solidly mediocre. The organization has gained a reputation for being one of the craftiest, and this year they have parlayed that into the best record in a weak American League halfway through the season. Cash has been with the Rays since 2014 and has been a big part of their success during that time.

(Runner-up: Will Venable – White Sox)

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