MLB Midseason Awards Rankings
- William Gilhooly
- Jun 23
- 6 min read
by William Gilhooly
Sportz Nation- 6/22/2026
As most clubs approach the midway point of their 2026 campaigns, there are already plenty of narratives forming around the MLB Awards.
Shohei Ohtani continues to be... well Shohei Ohtan. The American League is up-for-grabs without Aaron Judge, and Jacob Misiorowski appears to be the best thing since sliced bread.
And while the dog days of summer are just getting started, were gonna pretend like the season just ended, presenting the top three candidates of the MVP, and Cy Young awards.
American League
MVP
Yordan Alvarez-Houston Astros
Despite playing designated hitter most nights for the Astros, Alvarez has established himself as by far the top hitter in the AL, earning him the honor of mid-season MVP. Alvarez is the AL leader in hits, home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS, while also posting a slash line of .320/.428/.637. After an injury plagued 2025 season in which he only played in 45 games, Alvarez has shown that with a healthy season, he can be one of if not the best hitter on the planet.
Bobby Witt Jr.-Kansas City Royals
Photo Credits to Jeff Roberson/AP Photo
If you're a baseball-card stat lover, Witt won’t stand out. However, if you're an advanced state nerd like yours truly, Witt’s numbers argue he has a case to be MVP. Witt leads the AL in WAR and ranks fifth in defensive WAR. It’s the little things Witt’s done that’s made him so special. He leads baseball in outs-above-average with 16, tied for stolen bases with 28, and fielding range with 16. So while Witt’s slash line of .294/.368/.465 doesn’t appear MVP worthy, at second glance, he shows there’s so much more to a player than just counting stats.
Nick Kurtz-Athletics
As much as everyone adores him, it may be time for Kevin Youkilis to pass-down the nickname “The Greek God of Walks”. Kurtz has had an on-base season that only gets more impressive when you see he’s only 23 years-old! Kurtz has baseball’s highest on-base percentage, and walk percentage not to mention a 48-game on-base streak that ended in May. Kurtz is on-pace to have the most walks of anyone in the 21st century not named Barry Bonds with 72 in 77 games. Along with the ridiculous on-base stats, Kurtz has hit 19 home runs and leads the AL in RBI’s with 61, while putting up a .290/.439/.556 slash line. Kurtz has only gotten better as the seasons progressed, and if he continues this pace, he could find himself being one of the youngest MVP’s ever.
National League
MVP
Shohei Ohtani-Los Angeles Dodgers
While Ohtani continues to be his extraordinary self on offense posting a .297/.418/.551 slash line with 16 home runs, the unicorn is attempting to fulfill a self-made promise. Win the Cy Young. After not pitching in 2024, and only pitching 47 innings in 2025, Ohtani’s made people realize he wasn’t kidding around with that pledge. In 73 and ⅔ innings pitched, Ohtani holds a 1.47 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, and 78 strikeouts. With someone who’s accomplished virtually everything there is to in the sport, Ohtani may be crafting a season that further redefines what is possible in modern baseball.
Pete Crow-Armstrong-Chicago Cubs
Photo Credits to Jayden Mack/Getty Images
If this list was made a couple weeks ago, Crow-Armstrong probably wouldn’t be in the top 20. However, with a month of June that’s seen Crow-Armstrong hit with a 1.383 OPS, the centerfielder has made his presence known as an MVP candidate. Crow-Armstrong leads all position players in WAR with a 4.6, and is doing things with all five tools that haven’t been seen since a young Mike Trout. Crow-Armstrong is hitting at an impressive .286/.363/.521 slash line including 16 home runs and 18 steals, all while leading baseball in outs-above-average, range, and fielding-run-value. If Crow-Armstrong continues this pace, it would be pretty hard to deny him the MVP.
Jacob Misiorowski-Milwaukee Brewers
Photo Credits to John Fisher/ Getty Images
The fact there’s a pitcher on this list should tell you all you need to know about the season Misiorowski’s had. Misiorowski’s WHIP of .75 is dangerously close to Pedro Martinez’s modern era record of .74. In 93 innings, Misirowski holds a 1.45 ERA, and 138 strikeouts. The last pitcher to win an MVP was Clayton Kershaw in 2014. And while the season’s still young, Misiorowski's numbers are on pace to be better than Kershaw's of 1.77, 239, and 0.86. While the season is still young and with pitchers being against the odds most of the time in MVP voting, if Misiorowski is able to maintain this incredible start, it will be interesting what the voters make of this season when it’s all said and done.
American League
Cy Young
Cam Schlittler-New York Yankees
Photo Credits to David Butler/Imagn Images
You get the feeling that most AL pitchers have the same reaction when talking about Cam Schlittler, “Stop it! You’re making us look bad!” With a 1.71 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 109 strikeouts in 95 innings, Schlittler has blasted off following a thrilling rookie season. Despite injuries to major parts of the Yankees pitching staff, Schlittler has helped the club weather the storm guiding them to the best ERA in baseball. Schlittler's fastball has been a huge part of his success with the highest run value in all of baseball. To put it in perspective, Schlittler’s total pitching run value is 23, the next highest in the league is 18. All of this to sum up what was said in the first sentence, this is Schlittler's race to lose.
Drew Rasmussen-Tampa Bay Rays
Photo Credits to Duane Burleson/Getty Images
When you look at Drew Rasmussen’s baseball savant page, it makes you wonder why people don’t talk about this guy. Rasmussen has built off a quietly good lifetime ERA of 2.85 in 546 innings pitched and has announced his presence to the rest of the league. Rasmussen ranks second in the AL in ERA with a 2.62, and WHIP with a 0.88. Rasmussen’s control has been a major part of what’s made him so special this year. Rasmussen ranks in the second percentile amongst walk rates and has only been barrelled up on 6.7 percent of pitches. While analytics nerds have long fallen in love with his 73 percent off-speed pitch rate, with the season Rasmussen’s had, it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a household name.
Joe Ryan-Minnesota Twins
Photo Credits to Matt Krohn/Imagn Images
Joe Ryan has always been mentioned alongside the league’s better pitchers, but 2026 feels like his true breakout into the elite tier. Coming off an all-star campaign in 2025, Ryan has continued his steady progression and has helped the Twins get back to a game out of the AL wild-card race. Ryan holds a 2.99 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 99 strikeouts in 87 innings of work. Ryan ranks in the top three of major categories such as k’s per nine, WHIP, and walk rate, making him one of the most complete pitchers you will see in the league. Even while trade rumors are whirling in the Twin cities, Ryan continues to do what he’s always done, show consistent dominance.
National League
Cy Young
Jacob Misiorowski-Milwaukee Brewers
Photo Credits to Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
If you haven’t already heard enough about Misiorowski, here’s a little bit more about the dominance he’s shown. Cam Schlittler is second in baseball in pitching run-value with 23. Jacob Misiorowski sits at 32. I could end this section at that but there’s several other elements of excellence that cannot be ignored. Misiorowski leads baseball in xERA, strikeout rate, extension, and is in the top two percent of basically every other advanced stat you can find to sum it up. It’s even more incredible when you see the Brewers have been without key pitchers Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester, yet still find themselves atop the NL in ERA. The simplest way to describe Misiorowski's season is this: he's operating on a different level than everyone else.
Christopher Sánchez-Philadelphia Phillies
Photo Credits to Chris Coduto/Getty Images
With so much attention focused on Misiorowski, Paul Skenes, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in recent years, Sánchez has often felt like the forgotten ace. That can no longer be the case. Sánchez recently broke the MLB record for consecutive scoreless innings by a left-handed pitcher with 44 and two thirds. Sánchez has also pitched to a 1.80 ERA, and 121 strikeouts in 105 innings. Advanced metrics have never fully embraced Sánchez, but watching him pitch often makes those concerns fade away. Despite a 1.09 WHIP, he consistently escapes trouble thanks to an old-school sinkerball approach that generates elite ground-ball and double-play rates. His arsenal may not be the flashiest, but Sánchez continues to prove that intelligence and execution can be just as effective as overpowering stuff.
Paul Skenes-Pitsburgh Pirates
Photo Credits to Jeff Dean/Getty Images
Despite historic performances from Misiorowski and Sánchez, it would be foolish to say Skenes is out of this race. The reigning Cy Young winner had a few rough outings in the beginning of his 2026 campaign but has since returned to his dominant self. Through 88 innings, Skenes owns a 2.86 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, and 107 strikeouts. Perhaps most importantly, he's finally receiving run support. Pittsburgh has fielded one of baseball's top offenses, and Skenes already has six wins in 16 starts after recording just 10 wins in 32 starts a season ago. He has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last five outings, and with Pirates manager Don Kelly potentially easing some of his innings restrictions, the most dangerous version of Skenes may still be ahead.
-William Gilhooly
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