2026 MLB awards watch: Ohtani leads at July midpoint
At the 2026 MLB halfway mark, Shohei Ohtani remains the National League MVP favorite, while Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has surged into the race after an epic June. If you are checking the cubs game today, you are watching one of baseball's hottest award-story players in real time. With every team past 81 games, ESPN, CBS Sports and Bleacher Report published fresh July awards updates as the All-Star break nears.
Key Takeaways
- Shohei Ohtani leads the NL MVP race and ranks No. 1 in Bleacher Report's top-25 list through July 1.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong is the NL MVP runner-up in CBS Sports' midseason picks and ESPN's top challenger after a historic June.
- Jacob Misiorowski and Cam Schlittler lead the NL and AL Cy Young races, with Cristopher Sanchez and Dylan Cease pushing close.
- Kevin McGonigle and JJ Wetherholt top the rookie races in CBS Sports' July ballot.
Who leads the 2026 MVP races at the halfway mark?
In the American League, ESPN's July awards watch lists Bobby Witt Jr. as the front-runner with 142.2 AXE, even as Kansas City sinks in the standings. CBS Sports instead picks Houston's Yordan Alvarez, citing AL leads in on-base percentage, slugging, total bases and a tie for the home run lead while keeping the Astros in contention. Bleacher Report ranks Witt fourth and Alvarez sixth overall.
In the NL, ESPN lists Ohtani as front-runner at 157.9 AXE and notes he is on track to exceed 5.0 WAR as both a hitter and pitcher in the same season — something no player has done before. CBS Sports calls Ohtani an easy pick, highlighting an NL-best OBP plus an 8-2 record and 1.58 ERA across 79⅔ innings.
Why is Pete Crow-Armstrong in the NL MVP conversation?
Crow-Armstrong is the story tying awards chatter to Chicago. ESPN reports his epic June propelled him to the majors' best position-player AXE, with a .367/.451/.734 line, 13 homers and nine steals over 34 games. He already reached 5.2 bWAR in 2026, and his walk rate jumped from 4.5% to 10.3%. ESPN also credits him with 12 runs saved above average in center field.
CBS Sports lists Crow-Armstrong as Ohtani's runner-up, and Bleacher Report ranks him fifth overall. For fans following Streaming & TV Alerts, every Cubs broadcast now doubles as live MVP-tracker viewing.
Which pitchers are frontrunners for Cy Young?
CBS Sports picks Yankees rookie Cam Schlittler in the AL; his 2.08 ERA still leads the league despite a rough outing against Detroit. ESPN adds that Drew Rasmussen is the biggest mover after a 0.82 ERA in June, while Dylan Cease leads the AL with 128 strikeouts.
In the NL, CBS Sports favors Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski (1.45 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 146 strikeouts in 99 innings) over Phillies lefty Cristopher Sanchez. ESPN calls it the year's most dynamic awards battle, with Sanchez leading NL pitching bWAR while Misiorowski ranks second in Bleacher Report's overall top 25. See ESPN's July awards watch for the full tracker.
What do the rookie and manager races look like?
CBS Sports' midseason ballot names Kevin McGonigle as AL Rookie of the Year and Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt as NL ROY, with 3.7 WAR in 78 games. Will Venable gets AL Manager of the Year for lifting the White Sox into playoff position, while Don Mattingly earns NL honors for Philadelphia's turnaround.
2026 is also the first BBWAA season with Reliever of the Year awards. CBS picks Louis Varland in the AL and Mason Miller in the NL. Bleacher Report notes the All-Star Game is less than two weeks away, with awards talk and midsummer TV moments now fully intertwined.