Way-Too-Early Predictions for Every Major MLB Award
We’re only about 10% into the MLB season, and you know what that means: Awards season!
Teams are still in quasi-spring training through the first three weeks of the season, but that doesn’t mean we can’t already start predicting who will win the major American and National League awards by the time temperatures start to drop again.
Here are my official predictions following our first taste of baseball action.
More news: These Are the 3 Best Cities for an MLB Expansion Franchise
More news: The Best Player in Baseball Is on the Dodgers - And It's Not Shohei Ohtani
American League MVP: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees)
Oh, look, the best pure hitter in baseball is once again leading the league in home runs and doing his best to carry a semi-alive Yankees squad.
One day, maybe even soon, Judge will slow down, but 2026 isn’t that campaign yet.
National League MVP: Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles)
We’re at a point where it’s legitimately unfair that anyone has to compete with Ohtani. Even when he’s not at his best with the bat, he’s getting on base every game, and we might be witnessing the best he’s ever been on the mound.
American League Cy Young: Bryan Woo (Seattle Mariners)
Woo has always been one of the best young pitchers in the game, and even though he’s not getting the run support, the Mariners ace is showing why he can win the Cy Young this season.
Through his first four starts, he hasn’t won, but thankfully, wins don’t mean much in this new age of baseball award voting.
National League Cy Young: Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Ohtani wants to win the Cy Young, and the Dodgers seem prepared to let him have the best chance at winning the one prestigious award he still hasn’t captured.
He’s only allowed a single earned run during his first three starts and has a pitching arsenal with five to six different elite pitches. If he can continue this pace and just enough innings to qualify, Ohtani is going to be hard to beat with the narrative and pure stuff behind him.
American League Rookie of the Year: Kevin McGonigle (Detroit Tigers)
The 21-year-old top prospect for the Tigers has been good, and they’ve needed him in an offense that has been mostly poor to begin the year.
While his .310-plus batting average probably won’t hold up across the entire campaign, he’s good enough to still be a primary contributor on a Tigers team that is all-in on making the postseason.
National League Rookie of the Year: Sal Stewart (Cincinnati Reds)
Stewart has been unconscious for the first three weeks of the season for the Reds, hammering seven home runs and already accumulating over 1 bWAR in 18 games.
Even if he cools down tremendously, it’s going to be difficult for others to catch up to the Miami native.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 9:26 PM.