By: John Curtis White
We are now officially over halfway through the 2026 MLB season. Some players are having breakout years, and I believe that if the awards were right now they would win an award. These are the early MLB awards in my opinion for the 2026 MLB season.
First, the MVP and Silver Slugger race. The MVP and Silver Slugger race right now is not very contested in both the National League (NL) and the American League (AL). Here are my winners for the award.
In the NL, I believe that Shohei Ohtani will win the award. First, Ohtani has been dominant both on the mound and at the plate. As of now Ohtani has a 1.58 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, a .297 batting average and 18 home runs.
In the AL I believe that the pick should be Yordan Alavrez. Without any doubt Alavrez is the best hitter in baseball as he is batting .314 with 26 home runs. The two MVP and Silver Slugger candidates are making history, by being one of the first to have a strong Cy Young case and Silver Slugger case. Another could be the second Designated Hitter (DH) to ever win an MVP.
Next, the Cy Young Award race. Unlike the MVP race, the Cy Young race in the AL is pretty contested. However, my pick for Cy Young in the AL is Cam Schlittler. This season Schlittler has posted a 2.08 ERA, a 8-5 record, and 123 strikeouts.
Next up, in the NL I believe that Jacob Misirowski is the winner. This season Misirowski has posted a 9-3 record, a 1.45 ERA, and 146 strikeouts leading the league in ERA, strikeouts, and WHIP.
Next, for the Rookie of the Year in the AL, my pick is Munetaka Murakami. This season Murakami has been historic. He is hitting .240 while being in 10th place in home runs, he had been 2nd before he got injured.
In the NL I believe that JJ Wetherholt will win the award. First, Wetherholt has hit .269, to compare the MLB average is .250. Next, he has hit 13 home runs while bringing in 36 runs. The Rookie class this year is historic, however I believe that JJ Wetherholt and Munetaka Murakami will win the awards.
Finally, the Gold Glove award. First, in the NL Pete Crow-Armstrong (also known as PCA). First, PCA has 15 OAA (Outs Above Average) which ranks him second in the league. He also has a great jump when the ball hits the bat, having a jump that is 5.7 feet better than MLB league average.
Next, in the AL, I believe that Bobby Witt Jr. will win the award. First, Witt is leading MLB in OAA with 16.
The average MLB player has 1 or 2 in a season. Next, Witt also has a +12 fielding run value, which means Witt has saved his team 12 runs this season.
In conclusion, we are now over half way through the 2026 MLB season. Some players are having a great year and are worthy of awards. These are my picks for who has been the best hitter, overall player, best pitcher, best rookie, and best fielder so far this MLB season.
