As the MLB season starts, it is time to predict who wins the National League and American League Rookie of the Year awards early. Last season, in the AL is was the stunning surprise of Nick Kurtz, who blew up for 36 home runs, 86 RBI’s, and a .290 average in just 117 games. In the NL, Drake Baldwin surprised a lot of people with a good .274 average, 19 HR’s, and a stunning 80 RBIs in just 124 games. The NL race was pretty weak last season, but even then, it was interesting to see. Before 2026, here’s who really might become players to be reckoned with in their first season.
AL and NL Rookie of the Year Predictions
AL Rookie of Year
Winner: Munetaka Murakami
Easily the biggest concern for Munetaka Murakami is strikeouts, and his potential inability to get used to the MLB pitching. However, in the Japanese professional baseball league, the NBP, Murakami is a consistent amazing power threat. Murakami hit 56 home runs in 2022, which unfortunately took a big hit down to 33 and 31 in the following seasons. However, last season, the 26-year old hitter hit 22 home runs in just 56 games. Although he will have to keep his Ks down, Murakami feels like a player that could easily hit 20+ home runs for the Chicago White Sox this season.
Murakami most certainly won’t have an easy time transitioning from Japan to the MLB. However, we the power Murakami has, it seems like he could provide the Sox with an offensive boost that could win him AL Rookie of the Year.
Runner-Up: Samuel Basallo
The 21-year old Samuel Basallo should break out into a consistent good player in 2026. He in all likeliness isn’t going to reach his full potential in one year, mostly because that means he will probably certainly win the AL Rookie of Year Award then. Last season, in limited action, Basallo played 30 games, batting .165 with four home runs and six walks to 30 Ks. These are pretty abysmal numbers, but for a youngster, that isn’t uncommon.
The big 6’4, power-hitting catcher feels like he can breakout, at least to a certain extent. In spring training, Basallo has looked pretty good, and it seems like it could be another year of another young star taking a major role for the Baltimore Orioles.
NL Rookie of the Year
Winner: Nolan McLean
Quite honestly, a healthy Nolan McLean feels like an pitcher capable of winning a Cy Young and very easily winning the award for ROY. Why? McLean can strike out hitters really left and right and seems like a trustworthy pitcher that although he is young, looks like he has been pitching for a long time. In the 8 starts he had last season, he struck out 57, walked 16, and had an pretty amazing 2.06 ERA in 48 innings pitched.
In his one start of spring training, McLean steamrolled the opposing batters, striking out six, walking just one, and allowing no runs in four innings. Even in the WBC, where McLean gave up four runs, McLean still looked really good in certain stretches of those games. Not to mention, for a pitcher that had only started eight games in his career, he looked good. This is a pitcher that looks like he will only get better down the stretch. Not just is McLean an ROY candidate, he is Cy Young candidate as well.
Runner Up: JJ Wetherholt
JJ Wetherholt is a player who has the potential to immediately impact the St. Louis Cardinals lineup. The only problem being the lineup is really anything but good or experienced. Wetherholt is a massive “what if”, or in other words, a player that no one knows what to expect. There are other players in the NL that can threaten, such as Konnor Griffin, and even a player like Carson Benge who was teammates with McLean and is currently.
It seems like however that Wetherholt is a future star after raking in the minors last season. To be honest, a healthy McLean, unless there is an offensive explosion from a player like Griffin, Benge, or Wetherholt, is probably winning in NL ROY pretty easily. It isn’t a sure thing, but it feels likely with Wetherholt being the second most likely.
Overall, it will be very interesting to see who will be the breakout rookies this season. Whoever wins the award, at times, they are stars in the future for those teams as well. It is very exciting to see who will be the impact players of 2026.
Main Image: David Banks-Imagn Images
