MLB Rookie of the 12 months award: Predicting the highest candidates for 2026

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin have been named the 2025 Rookies of the 12 months. Kurtz gained the award unanimously following his monster debut season. In most different years, A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson or Crimson Sox outfielder Roman Anthony would have taken residence the {hardware}. They as a substitute completed behind Kurtz. The Nationwide League class was stacked — Baldwin beat out the equally deserving Caleb Durbin (Brewers) and Cade Horton (Cubs). 

No award will get you excited concerning the future the way in which Rookie of the 12 months does. It is a younger participant being acknowledged for his greatness, and nice younger gamers are what sports activities hopes are constructed on. With that in thoughts, here is a glance forward on the 2026 rookie class and, extra importantly, who might be within the working for the 2026 Rookie of the 12 months awards.

MLB Rookie of the 12 months awards: Athletics’ Nick Kurtz takes residence AL honors, Braves’ Drake Baldwin wins in NL

R.J. Anderson

American League

C Samuel Basallo, Orioles: The O’s consider a lot in Basallo that they signed him to an eight-year, $67 million extension in August. The 21-year-old principally struggled throughout his late-season cameo (.559 OPS in 31 video games), although he is already had two walk-off hits, and people 31 video games have been precious expertise. There’s one thing to be mentioned for taking your lumps, studying what changes you must make, and spending the offseason getting higher. Basallo, who didn’t play sufficient to exhaust his rookie eligibility, figures to share catcher/DH responsibility with Adley Rutschman in 2026, which might equal extra taking part in time than the everyday rookie catcher. That will not damage his Rookie of the 12 months probabilities.

SS Kevin McGonigle, Tigers: Arguably the very best prospect in baseball, McGonigle slashed .305/.408/.583 with 19 residence runs and extra walks (59) than strikeouts (46) throughout three minor league ranges in 2025. He has but to succeed in Triple-A and the shortage of minor-league seasoning might work towards him, however groups more and more view Triple-A as a pit cease greater than a stage to spend a full season for improvement. The shortstop place is broad open in Detroit. McGonigle could not make his MLB debut till June or July, although he would not be the primary Rookie of the 12 months winner to play solely half a season within the huge leagues, or thereabouts.

RHP Trey Yesavage, Blue Jays: Baseball followers are already greater than aware of Yesavage given his postseason heroics. He made solely three regular-season begins, nonetheless, and postseason play doesn’t rely towards rookie standing, so Yesavage continues to be eligible for subsequent 12 months’s Rookie of the 12 months award. We have already seen how good he might be on the sport’s greatest stage, and he’ll have the added benefit of not having to compete for a big-league job in spring coaching. We already know Yesavage will break camp in Toronto’s rotation. There is a lengthy strategy to go between at times, however given what we all know proper now, Yesavage needs to be thought of the 2026 Rookie of the 12 months frontrunner.

Nationwide League

RHP Bubba Chandler, Pirates: The Pirates slow-played Chandler’s improvement this season, a lot in order that he admitted he was “mad” he was not known as up sooner. He pitched properly following his August debut, placing out 31 batters towards solely 4 walks in 31 ⅓ innings. Spectacular command for a rookie, that’s. Chandler, 23, neither pitched sufficient nor spent sufficient time within the huge leagues to exhaust his rookie standing. He is eligible for the 2026 Rookie of the 12 months award and is more likely to be a part of Pittsburgh’s rotation proper out of the gate on Opening Day.

RHP Nolan McLean, Mets: McLean might’ve been the Nationwide League’s model of Yesavage within the postseason had the Mets, you realize, made the postseason. The 24-year-old was spectacular in his MLB debut this 12 months, pitching to a 2.06 ERA with 57 strikeouts in eight begins and exhibiting energetic stuff with motion that may finest be described as cartoonish. McLean threw 48 innings for the Mets, two fewer than the 50-inning rookie restrict. He stays Rookie of the 12 months eligible going into subsequent season and is definite to be in New York’s season-opening rotation. It is not out of the query that McLean will begin Opening Day in 2026.

IF JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals: Arguably the very best all-around prospect within the minors, Wetherholt hit .306/.421/.510 with 17 residence runs and almost as many walks (72) as strikeouts (73) within the minors this season. He performed 47 video games in Triple-A too. He is knocking on the door. Wetherholt will not unseat Masyn Winn at shortstop however he should not have any bother taking part in second or third. The one query is how the Cardinals will make room for him (Brendan Donovan commerce?) and the way quickly they may do it. Wetherholt is about as near MLB prepared as a prospect can get.

Thriller League 

A number of outstanding Japanese veterans are anticipated to make their approach over to MLB through the posting system this offseason. We do not know the place they may signal but, however the guidelines say these gamers shall be Rookie of the 12 months eligible no matter their age or years of expertise in Japan, so we will embrace them right here.

RHP Tatsuya Imai: Imai, 27, has been certainly one of Japan’s prime pitchers with the Seibu Lions the previous few years, and this 12 months he threw 163 ⅔ innings with 178 strikeouts and a 1.92 ERA. It is the mid-to-upper-90s fastball with the standard deep array of secondary pitches you discover with Japanese starters (slider, splitter, curveball, and so on.). Imai isn’t the subsequent Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He is seen as extra of a mid-rotation starter with untapped potential than a plug-and-play ace. The Lions posted Imai this week.

3B Munetaka Murakami: The 25-year-old Murakami has been on the radar since his historic 56-homer season for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2022, which is the single-season file for a Japanese-born participant. The years since haven’t been fairly as dominant, and an indirect damage restricted him to 69 video games this season, however in that timeframe he hit 24 residence runs. There are actual questions on Murakami’s bat-to-ball capability (his 27.0% strikeout charge in 2025 was properly north of the 19.5% league common) and his third base protection, however nobody doubts the facility. Murakami’s 45-day posting window closes Dec. 22.

1B/3B Kazuma Okamoto: Maybe a safer wager to carry out straight away than Murakami, Okamoto has been one of many Japan’s prime hitters the final decade. He hit .322/.411/.581 with 15 residence runs in 77 video games round a non-throwing elbow damage this 12 months (it was a fluke damage suffered in a collision at first base) and has a historical past of massive pull energy and wonderful contact charges. Okamoto is a bit older than Imai and Murakami (30 in June), which shall be baked into the contract. The Yomiuri Giants have by no means posted a place participant of their historical past (Hideki Matsui left as a free agent). Okamoto would be the first and will land with a staff keen to stay with him at third base. He not but been formally posted.