MLB Rookies of the Year: Kevin McGonigle Runs Away With the AL, Sal Stewart Takes the NL

MLB awards week is here, and it started Monday night with the Rookies of the Year. Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers won in the American League, and Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds won in the National League. The awards are voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

AL: Kevin McGonigle, Tigers

McGonigle was a runaway winner, getting 28 of 30 first-place votes. Cleveland’s Parker Messick finished second, and Boston’s Payton Tolle was third.

He made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster without playing a game in Triple-A, then hit .278 with a .376 on-base percentage, 18 home runs, 72 RBIs and 97 runs in 156 games. He drew 95 walks against 100 strikeouts. His 7.1 WAR (Baseball Reference) led every player in the AL, pitchers included, and MLB.com says he is the first rookie since Ted Williams in 1939 with at least 97 runs, 28 doubles, 18 homers, 72 RBIs and 95 walks.

He also reached base 266 times, breaking Harvey Kuenn’s Tigers rookie record of 260 that had stood for 73 years. McGonigle is Detroit’s sixth Rookie of the Year and its first since Michael Fulmer in 2016. Because of MLB’s Prospect Promotion Incentive, the Tigers also get an extra pick after the first round of the 2027 draft.

NL: Sal Stewart, Reds

Stewart beat out the Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt and the Mets’ Carson Benge. He played in all 162 games and hit .263 with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs, a Reds rookie record and the third-most in the majors. He also stole 15 bases, made his first All-Star team and moved between first base, third base, second base and designated hitter.

At 22, Stewart is the first Reds rookie to hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs in a season. He is the ninth Reds player to win Rookie of the Year, joining Frank Robinson, Pete Rose, Tommy Helms, Johnny Bench, Pat Zachry, Chris Sabo, Scott Williamson and Jonathan India.

My Take

McGonigle’s season was historic, and the voting showed it. Leading the league in WAR as a rookie, ahead of every veteran, is about as strong a case as a first-year player can make. Stewart did his damage with the big numbers, and playing every game at four different spots shows how much the Reds leaned on him.

What’s Next

Awards week continues with Manager of the Year on Tuesday, the Cy Young on Wednesday and MVP on Thursday, and I will have a post each night. If you missed it, here is my look back at the 2026 MLB season.

Featured photo: Kevin McGonigle, May 13, 2026 by D. Benjamin Miller, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.