Tigers' McGonigle and Reds' Stewart Win 2026 MLB Rookie of the Year Awards

Rookies of the Year Named

Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers and Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds were named MLB's Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award winners on Monday.

McGonigle earned the American League honour, beating out finalists Parker Messick and Payton Tolle by receiving 28 of 30 first-place votes. Stewart took home the National League award, topping fellow finalists Carson Benge and JJ Wetherholt with 20 first-place votes.

McGonigle's Season

The 22-year-old McGonigle suited up in 156 games for Detroit this summer, slashing .278/.376/.430 with 18 homers, 72 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. Among all qualified rookies in the American League, McGonigle's numbers helped him finish top-five in OPS, homers, doubles, RBIs and stolen bases.

The Tigers signed him to a $150 million, eight-year deal in April, just a few weeks into his rookie season. He backed up that confidence by making the All-Star team and helping the Tigers remain in the playoff race for much of the summer.

A first-round pick (37th overall) by Detroit in 2023, McGonigle was also named to the AL All-Star Team in July. He also excelled defensively, spending time at both shortstop and third base, racking up a combined 10 defensive runs saved between the two positions.

McGonigle joins Harvey Kuenn (1953), Mark Fidrych (1976), Lou Whitaker (1978), Justin Verlander (2006) and Michael Fulmer (2016) as Tigers to have claimed AL Rookie of the Year honours.

Stewart's Season

On the NL side, Stewart became the first Reds rookie to post a 30-homer, 100-RBI season in 2026, leaving the yard 32 times and driving in 112 runs. He also slashed .263/.330/.457, stole 15 bases and earned a spot on the NL All-Star Team.

The 22-year-old led all qualified NL rookies in home runs, RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases, and finished second in hits and runs.

Cincinnati tabbed Stewart with the 32nd pick in the 2022 draft. The Miami-born slugger eventually made his MLB debut late in 2025 before becoming a full-time part of the Reds lineup in 2026, when he played in all of the team's 162 games.

Stewart joins Frank Robinson (1956), Pete Rose (1963), Tommy Helms (1966), Johnny Bench (1968), Pat Zachry (1976), Chris Sabo (1988), Scott Williamson (1999) and Jonathan India (2021) as Reds Rookies of the Year.

Why it matters

The awards recognize the top rookie performers in each league for the 2026 regular season, with votes submitted before the beginning of the playoffs.

Sources

• sportsnet.ca: Tigers' McGonigle, Reds' Stewart named MLB's Rookies of the Year - Sportsnet.ca
• cbssports.com: 2026 MLB Rookie of the Year: Tigers' Kevin McGonigle, Reds' Sal Stewart win BBWAA awards - CBS Sports

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.