The 2026 Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year awards went to two players who made their cases in very different ways.
On Monday night, Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers took home the American League honor, while Cincinnati Reds slugger Sal Stewart won in the National League. The BBWAA has the full voting breakdown.
McGonigle’s win was the more decisive one on paper, but the season behind it was anything but ordinary. The 22-year-old collected 28 of the 30 first-place votes, with Parker Messick grabbing the other two and Payton Tolle finishing behind them.
Messick made this a real conversation, even if the final count doesn’t fully show it. A sub-2.60 ERA over 186.1 innings is the kind of season that usually gets a rookie across the finish line, and Messick even drew AL Cy Young votes.
But McGonigle’s year was too loud to ignore.
He led the American League with a 7.1 bWAR, hit .278 with 18 home runs and 12 stolen bases, and appeared in 156 of 162 games. Add in above-average defense at premium positions, and the profile starts looking less like a nice rookie season and more like a player who took over the league. One more eye-popping number: McGonigle posted the second-lowest chase percentage in MLB, an absurd mark for a rookie.
After winning, McGonigle said: “It feels great… I don’t really know how to put it into words. I’m just super grateful for this season, and I went out and worked my butt off to play for this team and help this team win as much as I could… I just want to thank the coaches and my teammates, my family and my friend, and the community of Delaware County for all their support throughout this journey. It’s hard to put into words, and I am just super grateful and humble, and thankful for this.”
He became the first Tigers player to win Rookie of the Year since Michael Fulmer in 2016, and the first Tigers position player to do it since Lou Whitaker in 1978. Kevin McGonigle signing his extension early in the season, eight years and 150 million, already looks like a huge win for Detroit.
In the National League, Stewart’s path to the trophy was tighter. He beat Carson Benge and JJ Wetherholt in a race that stayed close all year. Stewart got 20 first-place votes, Benge received seven and Wetherholt got three.
The season swung around the finalists more than once. Wetherholt jumped out early, then injuries knocked him off track.
Stewart took over from there, powered by his bat. Then Benge finished strong down the stretch while Stewart’s finish got a little shaky.
Even so, the voters leaned toward Stewart’s production and his ability to stay on the field.
Wetherholt and Benge both finished with more bWAR than Stewart, with Wetherholt at 4.5 and Benge at 4.3, while Stewart ended at 2.0. But Stewart’s numbers at the plate were impossible to dismiss: 32 home runs and 112 RBIs in his first full season, after debuting in 2025 and retaining rookie eligibility for 2026. In a Reds lineup that needed offense wherever it could find it, Stewart’s presence clearly mattered.
He also played every game, and that durability may have separated him from the rest of the field. His counting stats and availability carried the day.
After the announcement, Stewart said: “I’m confident in who I am and confident in the work I put in and the people around me… I love to envision things. I felt like I could go out there, and I knew what I was capable of… my job was to just go out there, stay healthy and be me.”
He also added: “Being available to your teammates every single day… my teammates appreciate that. And I want them to know that I’m always there for them.”
Stewart is the first Reds player to win Rookie of the Year since Jonathan India in 2021. Now he heads into his sophomore season with a few questions to answer after the uneven finish to his rookie year, but the big takeaway is already clear: he can hit, and he can be counted on to show up every day.
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