The Braves have a chance to add more hardware to the shelf after Chris Sale and Walt Weiss were both named finalists for 2026 BBWAA awards.
Sale is in the mix for the National League Cy Young Award again after another strong season on the mound. The left-hander made 27 starts, logged 162.2 innings and finished with a 2.16 ERA, a 2.29 FIP and 5.8 fWAR.
He was the steady force in Atlanta’s rotation all year, and it’s striking that two of his top-five seasons by fWAR have come during this Braves stretch in his mid-to-late 30s. Even with Jacob Misiorowski looking like the favorite after a huge regular season, Sale has still pushed himself into finalist status after his age-37 campaign.
Weiss also earned finalist recognition for NL Manager of the Year after guiding Atlanta back to the postseason in his first year back in the dugout since 2016. His first season as Braves manager was easily his best, with Atlanta jumping from 76 wins in 2025 to 94 wins and an NL East title in 2026. Any doubt about the club choosing an internal answer to replace Brian Snitker after 2025 has likely faded after the way Weiss handled the job.
The BBWAA will announce the Manager of the Year winners on November 10, followed by the Cy Young winners on November 11.
Here are the other finalists across the major awards:
AL MVP: Yordan Alvarez, Astros; Junior Caminero, Rays; Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
NL Rookie of the Year: Carson Benge, Mets; Sal Stewart, Reds; JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals
AL Rookie of the Year: Kevin McGonigle, Tigers; Parker Messick, Guardians; Payton Tolle, Red Sox
NL Cy Young: Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers; Chris Sale, Braves; Cristopher Sánchez, Phillies
AL Cy Young: Dylan Cease, Blue Jays; Parker Messick, Guardians; Cam Schlittler, Yankees
NL Reliever of the Year: Jhoan Duran, Phillies; Trevor Megill, Brewers; Mason Miller, Padres
AL Reliever of the Year: Bryan Baker, Rays; Cade Smith, Guardians; Louis Varland, Blue Jays
NL Manager of the Year: Don Mattingly, Phillies; Pat Murphy, Brewers; Walt Weiss, Braves
AL Manager of the Year: Kevin Cash, Rays; Chad Tracy, Red Sox; Will Venable, White Sox
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Chris Sales first season in Atlanta has already given the Braves plenty to feel good about, and now it has put him in line for one of the games top individual honors. The left-hander was dominant from start to finish, working to a 2.16 ERA while piling up 200 strikeouts over 162.2 innings, production that helped stabilize the rotation and justify the one-year contract extension he signed with the club.
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One name worth keeping on the radar is Jake Bauers, who could fit the Braves' need for an affordable option if they decide to shop in a thinner market. Bauers turned in a strong 2026 season and played an important role in Milwaukee's postseason success, which is the kind of profile that can make a player more intriguing than his price tag alone. For a Braves team trying to stabilize the position without overcommitting, that kind of fit is exactly the sort of thing that tends to get attention. [Read more 🡒]