Fresh off of the heels of two Atlanta Braves players receiving Gold Glove Awards (Matt Olson at First Base and Mauricio Dubón as a utility man), it looks like there’s a chance that they’ll have some company when it comes to bringing home individual hardware from the 2026 season.
2024 National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale is once again up for the award, as he’s been named as a Finalist for the 2026 Award as well. Manager Walt Weiss will also be waiting for a call from the BBWAA in a couple
of weeks, as he’s been named as a Finalist for the 2026 NL Manager of the Year Award.
Sale continued to defy Father Time in 2026, as he delivered yet another great season on the mound for the Braves. He made 27 starts and threw 162.2 innings and finished the season with a 2.16 ERA (51 ERA-) and a 2.29 FIP (55 FIP-), good for 5.8 fWAR on the season as he served as the clear rock of Atlanta’s rotation. It’s really amazing to consider that two of Sale’s Top-5 seasons (according to fWAR) have come here in his mid-to-late 30s during this stint with the Braves. I’d be shocked if Sale won it this year (as the award appears to be Jacob Misiorowski’s to lose after he had an incredible regular season) but it’s still amazing that he’s even made it this far as a finalist following his age-37 season.
Meanwhile, Walt Weiss should also be applauded for the work he did in helping bring this team back to the Postseason in his first year as a manager since 2016. 2026 was by far Weiss’s best season as a manager, as Atlanta went from 76 wins in 2025 to 94 wins and an NL East title in his first season sitting in the manager’s chair for the Braves. Whatever consternation there may have been about the Braves going with an internal option to replace Brian Snitker following the 2025 season is surely gone now, as Weiss proved himself fully capable of being able to manage this team at a high level.
The Manager of the Year Award winners will be announced on the night of November 10, while the Cy Young Award winners will be revealed on November 11, so you can go ahead and circle those dates to check back in and see if Sale and Weiss can end up taking home some individual glory heading into the Winter.
