Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint, but the runners have reached the first checkpoint, as the 2026 season is a month old. And what a season it’s been so far. Like trees budding in the spring, we’ve seen young clubs such as the Pirates, A’s and Cardinals blossom. We’ve seen teams with high expectations, like the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Mets—limp (literally) out of the gate. We’ve seen some managers acquit themselves well, while others, such as Alex Cora and Rob Thomson, have already been given the pink slip.
But what’s perhaps stood out most of all is the incredible individual performances we’ve seen thus far from superstar hitters, pitchers, rookies and skippers, setting up what promises to be exciting award races through the rest of the season.
Glancing through the lens of a month of games, let’s examine where each award race stands.
American League MVP
The frontrunners
Yordan Alvarez, DH, Houston Astros
Alvarez is sporting an OBP north of .460 and a slugging percentage above .700 while owning nearly twice as many walks as strikeouts. He’s crushing fastballs and breaking balls with equal ease, forcing pitchers to approach an at-bat against him with the utmost trepidation. While subtle swing changes he’s made have helped him hit the ball on the ground less and drive the ball in the air more, perhaps the biggest change is that Alvarez is finally healthy, giving us all a glimpse of what the ceiling looks like. He’ll need the struggling Astros to pick it up to win this award, but Alvarez looks like an early frontrunner.
Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees
Were it not for a torrid start from Alvarez, Judge, the reigning back-to-back AL MVP, would be the likely frontrunner to claim this award once again. After a quiet March, Judge has turned things up a notch in April, as he’s tied for the major-league lead in homers and ranks second among AL hitters in wins above replacement. Plus, Judge’s insatiable desire to improve has seemingly reached a new realm, as he’s already stolen five bases, his highest total ever after the first full month of a season.
Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
Is it 2016 or 2026? After years of injury-riddled campaigns, Trout is healthy again and back to running the outfield grass in center field for the Angels. And at 34 years young, Trout has turned back the clock as a hitter. He’s walking more than ever, has slashed his strikeout rate nearly in half and is barreling up the baseball better than any AL hitter not named Aaron Judge. As usual, the sub-.500 Angels are bringing Trout down, but that didn't stop the future Hall of Famer from winning this award before.
Don’t forget about these guys
Ben Rice, 1B, New York Yankees
Rice has actually been the best hitter on the Yankees thus far, as he leads the team in hits, batting average, OBP and slugging percentage while ranking among the league leaders in batted ball metrics.
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
After a bit of a slow start at the plate, Witt is starting to drive the ball more. Plus, he’s once again been the best defensive shortstop in the game and among the league leaders in stolen bases. With so many ways to impact the game, Witt can’t be discounted for this award, even on an underachieving Royals team.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Toronto Blue Jays
Guerrero is among the league leaders in hits but hasn’t yet driven the ball like many would expect. It’s a matter of time before that happens—before the Blue Jays get healthier and begin to play better.
National League MVP
The frontrunners
Shohei Ohtani, SP/DH, Los Angeles Dodgers
Could it be anyone else? Ohtani’s full-time return to the mound this season has been a smashing success, as he’s arguably been the best pitcher in the National League. And while his pitching has taken center stage so far, Ohtani has remained a potent slugger, as he’s one of just two NL hitters (James Wood is the other) to rank in the top 15 in barrels per plate appearance and average exit velocity. Adding to Ohtani’s lore was his on-base streak that lasted through the first 22 games of the Dodgers’ season, extending what amounted to a 53-game on-base streak between 2025 and '26.
Elly De La Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds
Two changes seem to have helped De La Cruz take the next step. He’s traded ground balls for more fly balls and he’s cut his chase rate from last season. Plus, when the Reds star has made contact with this more selective approach, he’s hitting the ball harder than ever before. De La Cruz is almost halfway to his career high in homers after just a month of play, has swiped eight bases and is playing solid defense at shortstop. De La Cruz’s breakout is for real, and he has a shot to win his first NL MVP award while showing out for a first-place team in baseball’s best division.
Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
What hamate bone injury? Baseball’s strange injury you’ve never heard of that has often sapped hitters of their power over the years hasn’t yet had that effect on Carroll. While he’s not hitting the ball as hard as he did last year and the strikeouts are up, the Diamondbacks star has still been slugging, ranking among the top 15 NL hitters in slugging percentage. As Carroll gets further and further away from the injury, he should begin to hit the ball harder once again, a scary proposition for his already impressive numbers.
Don’t forget about these guys
Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves
Acuna hasn’t found his power stroke yet, but he’s one hot streak away from inserting himself back into this race, given the way he can hit homers and steal bases in bunches.
Juan Soto, OF, New York Mets
A calf injury cost Soto 15 games, but he’s playing well enough to remain on the outskirts of the NL MVP race.
Matt Olson, 1B, Atlanta Braves
If any Brave deserves to be considered for this award thus far, it would be Olson, given his NL-leading slugging numbers—bolstered by a walk-off homer Wednesday night—and plus defense.
AL Cy Young
Jose Soriano, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
Consider this. Soriano allowed three earned runs and two home runs to the White Sox in his seventh start of the year against the White Sox—and his ERA ballooned to 0.84. That’s how dominant the Angels righthander has been amid a breakout start. Soriano has three legitimate plus pitches—a split-fingered fastball, sinker and knuckle curve—to attack hitters with, a recipe that has helped him rank among the top 10 AL pitchers in strikeout rate, opponent batting average and swinging strike rate while leading the league in wins and ERA.
Tarik Skubal, LHP, Detroit Tigers
After a lights-out start to the year, there have been a couple of bumps in the road for Skubal, as he allowed four earned runs in an April 7 start against the Twins, then another four earned runs in an April 23 start vs. Milwaukee. Yet Skubal’s world-class control and his devastating-as-ever fastball-changeup combo have him pitching to a sub-3.00 ERA. If Skubal’s 1.97 FIP is any indication, the best may be yet to come for the Tigers southpaw as he looks to become the first pitcher to win three straight Cy Young Awards since Randy Johnson from 1999-02.
Cam Schlittler, RHP, New York Yankees
You could really flip a coin and give the nod to either Schlittler or fellow Yankees starter Max Fried. That’s how good Yankees starting pitching has been this year. We’ll give the slight edge to Schlittler, whose sizzling mix of four-seam, cut and sinking fastballs have helped him produce the best swing-and-miss stuff in the AL and a much-improved groundball rate, giving him multiple different ways to get hitters out. Schlittler has the largest difference in the AL between his strikeout and walk rates, and has looked like a legitimate ace in his first full season on a big-league mound.
Don’t forget about these guys
Dylan Cease, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
Cease’s usual high walk rate is unsightly, but his AL-best strikeout rate and overly-high BABIP point to even better days than he’s already enjoyed, a good sign for his candidacy.
Max Fried, LHP, New York Yankees
Fried’s sinker has once again been a weapon, as he’s lulled opposing bats to sleep to the tune of just three barrels allowed, the second-lowest average exit velocity and an above-average groundball rate.
Jacob deGrom, RHP, Texas Rangers
After finishing eighth in the AL Cy Young vote last year, deGrom, who owns the second-biggest difference between his strikeout and walk rates in the league, might be pitching even better in 2026.
NL Cy Young
The frontrunners
Shohei Ohtani, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Yes, Ohtani made this awards list twice. The two-way superstar has a real shot to take home the first Cy Young Award of his illustrious career, given his MLB-leading ERA, NL-leading FIP and fourth-ranked strikeout rate. So locked in on the mound and toward his goal of making every start has Ohtani been that the Dodgers have taken to giving him days off from hitting during his starts. Ohtani’s fastball has been the best pitch in baseball this season and the sweeper, curve and splitter have all been strong swing-and-miss offerings. What’s a hitter to do?
Paul Skenes, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Opening Day feels like eons ago. Skenes, with a little unhelpfulness from the Pirates defense, couldn’t make it out of the first inning while serving up five earned runs to the Mets on that fateful day. Since that point, Skenes has pitched to a 0.95 ERA, yielded just a .105 opponent batting average and struck out 29 hitters in 28 ⅓ innings. That the Pirates could finally be playing in meaningful games come summer time should only add even more fuel to Skenes’s fire.
Chris Sale, LHP, Atlanta Braves
Sale is pitching like it’s 2024 again, when he won the NL Cy Young Award for the Braves. The southpaw has arguably been the best pitcher on the best pitching staff in baseball, as he owns a 2.31 ERA and the NL’s seventh-biggest difference between strikeout and walk rates. After surrendering six earned runs to the Angels on April 6, Sale has permitted just two earned runs in his last 20 innings pitched.
Don’t forget about these guys
Cristopher Sanchez, LHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Sanchez was knocked around by the Cubs in his last start but still owns a sub-3.00 ERA, a top-10 FIP and a sure-to-plummet .423 opponents average on balls in play
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers ace hasn’t been quite as dominant as last season but is still tied for the big-league lead in quality starts and the splitter is as nasty as ever.
Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Misiorowski’s 100-mph fastball gets all the headlines but his hard, biting slider has actually been his best pitch and has heavily contributed to the best strikeout rate among starters.
AL Rookie of the Year
The frontrunners
Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers
Heck, McGonigle might be in the running for MVP if he keeps this up. All the rookie shortstop has done is slug the ball, as he’s among the league leaders in doubles and triples while operating as the perfect table-setter atop the Tigers lineup. Most impressive is McGonigle’s ability to resist chasing pitches out of the zone, as well as his patient eye at the plate; 21-year-old hitters aren’t supposed to be this advanced.
Munetaka Murakami, DH, Chicago White Sox
Murakami is a home run machine, as the first 12 extra-base hits of his career have left the yard, the longest streak to begin a career since at least 1900, according to MLB.com's Sarah Langs. While the Japanese slugger has a ton of swing-and-miss in his game, his prodigious power and top-15 walk rate have made him a fixture in the middle of the White Sox lineup.
Chase DeLauter, OF, Cleveland Guardians
The question with DeLauter was never about ability, it was about health. And thus far, the Guardians rookie has enjoyed a clean medical bill while providing Cleveland’s outfield with some much-needed slugging. And while he’s ran into a bit of a rough patch of late, DeLauter’s plate discipline and raw power are going to keep him in the running for this award, which has turned into an AL Central race.
Don’t forget about these guys
Parker Messick, LHP, Cleveland Guardians
Messick has been downright nasty, pitching to a 1.73 ERA while ranking among the top-10 AL starters in strikeout rate.
Carter Jensen, C, Kansas City Royals
Yet another talented AL Central rookie, Jensen leads all qualified Royals in OPS. Don’t sleep on him for this award (pun intended).
NL Rookie of the Year
Sal Stewart, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
Simply put, Stewart has been a terror at the plate for the Reds. The 22-year-old ranks among the top five hitters—yes, that’s hitters not rookies—in home runs, barrel rate and slugging percentage. Oh, and Stewart has stolen seven bases for good measure to take an early lead in this race.
Nolan McLean, RHP, New York Mets
Mets fans haven’t had many reasons to cheer thus far, but rookie pitcher Nolan McLean is one of them. McLean owns a sub-3.00 ERA and the fourth-largest difference between his strikeout and walk rates thanks to a nasty arsenal headlined by a sweeper and sinker that look nearly identical coming out of his hand. Seriously, how does one attempt to hit against McLean?
JJ Wetherholt, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals
Wetherholt has been one of the best defensive second basemen in the league while coming up with several clutch hits for the comeback-kid Cardinals this season. He’s also shown an amazingly patient eye for a 23-year-old hitter getting his first taste of big-league pitching. Our preseason NL ROY pick has some ground to make up, but he's very much in the race—just as St. Louis is surprisingly in the playoff race.
Don’t forget about these guys
Konnor Griffin, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
After a rough start to his career at the plate, Griffin is starting to heat up and his five-tool skillset could allow him to force his way into this race.
Moises Ballesteros, DH, Chicago Cubs
Ballesteros has brought the boom for the Cubs’ lineup, as he has an OPS north of 1.000 and, if he qualified, would rank in the top 10 in hard-hit rate.
AL Manager of the Year
Mark Kotsay, A’s
How about those A’s?! Kotsay’s club currently sits in first place, albeit in what has turned out to be a weaker AL West. But that shouldn’t diminish the job Kotsay has done with one of baseball’s youngest teams.
Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays
Relative to the expected competition and club expectations, no one thought the Rays would be near the top of the AL East. But that’s exactly where they sit at the end of the first month, and baseball’s longest-tenured manager deserves credit for finding success with what objectively looked like one of the worst rosters in the division entering the season.
NL Manager of the Year
Don Kelly, Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates’ front office also deserves credit for pulling the right strings this offseason, but Kelly has also acquitted himself well, particularly with his creative usage of the Pittsburgh bullpen.
Terry Francona, Cincinnati Reds
Francona’s Reds are in first place despite playing without two of their best pitchers in Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Checking In on MLB’s Award Races After One Month: Cy Shohei?.
