Detroit and Cincinnati take the rookie honors
Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle and Reds infielder Sal Stewart are the 2026 American League and National League Rookies of the Year. MLB announced the Baseball Writers’ Association of America selections on November 9 in the United States.
McGonigle received 28 of 30 first-place votes, with Guardians left-hander Parker Messick taking the other two. Stewart received 20 first-place votes; Mets outfielder Carson Benge received seven and Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt three.
The complete vote provides the comparison
MLB’s published totals give McGonigle 204 points, ahead of Messick’s 122 and Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle’s 54. Stewart finishes with 170 points, followed by Benge on 107 and Wetherholt on 99.
These are separate league awards. First-place votes and total ballot points are different measures; the two winning point totals should not be combined into an overall MLB ranking.
The seasons behind the awards
MLB credits McGonigle with a .376 on-base percentage and 18 home runs in 2026. Stewart finished with 32 home runs and 112 runs batted in. The linked winner report and voting table let readers compare the results with the season summaries; this is an award announcement, rather than a new game result.
