Major League Baseball's awards season gets going in earnest Monday, Nov. 9 when the winners of the American League and National League Rookie of the Year awards are revealed.
It kickstarts four days of hardware awarded by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, culminating Thursday when the Most Valuable Players for each league are announced.
Three finalists are selected for each major award, with the rookie contenders including shortstop Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers and left-handers Payton Tolle of the Boston Red Sox and Parker Messick of the Cleveland Guardians in the AL. NL finalists include Cincinnati Reds slugger Sal Stewart, New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge and St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt.
A look at the
rookie race:
AL, NL Rookie of the Year: How to watch
Balloting will be revealed during an MLB Network broadcast that begins at 7 p.m. ET. Interviews with the finalists and analysis precede announcement of the awards.
AL Rookie of the Year: Finalists
Kevin McGonigle, 22, announced his arrival with authority, notching four hits in his opening day debut, and did not stop from there. The Tigers shortstop led the AL in WAR (7.1) and plate appearances (707), amasssing 168 hits and batting .278 with a .376 on-base percentange His adjusted OPS of 126 was well above league average. McGonigle would be the first Detroit Tiger to win AL Rookie of the Year since pitcher Michael Fulmer in 2016.
Payton Tolle, who turned 24 Nov. 1, debuted with Boston in 2025 but became one of its rotation anchors this past season, striking out 171 batters over 148 ⅔ innings and compiling a 3.03 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. The garrulous southpaw has emerged as a fan favorite in Boston, thanks in part to his carefree mound mentality mixed with an oft-dominant fastball.
Like Tolle, Parker Messick, 26, debuted in 2025 and became a rotation fixture for Cleveland in his full rookie season, starting Game 1 of their AL Division Series after a dominant campaign. Messick struck out 193 batters in 186 ⅓ innings, with a 2.56 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. The Guardians emerged to defend their AL Central championship as Messick, a 2022 second-round pick, joined with Gavin Williams to provide a dominant foundation to their rotation.
NL Rookie of the Year: Finalists
The likely favorite for this award wasn't necessarily on the radar to win it at the start of the year. But Sal Stewart, 22, just never stopped slugging, ripping 32 home runs and driving in 112 runs for the Cincinnati Reds. He finished the season with a .787 OPS and even stole 15 bases as he played in all 162 games.
Carson Benge, 23, likely exceeded the high hopes the Mets harbored for his first season. He hit an opening day home run and didn't stop from there, hitting 20 home runs, stealing 22 bases and solidifying right field for the Mets in an otherwise lost season. Defensively, Benge was slightly above the norm based on outs above average, but his throwing arm ranked in the 99th percentile.
JJ Wetherholt, 24, was the seventh overall pick in the 2024 draft and methodically beat down the door to St. Louis, like Benge debuting on opening day. He hit 17 homers and stole 14 bases, but his biggest impact came defensively. The former shortstop finished second in the major leagues to likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong in fielding run value, teaming with shortstop Masyn Winn to give the Cardinals an elite defensive look in their middle infield.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AL, NL Rookie of the Year: How to watch as MLB's awards season begins
