MLB announced the current leaderboard for the American League Rookie of the Year award two months into the regular season, as voted on by a panel of MLB.com experts.
The rookies in the American League have been excellent this season, and not just for rookies.
Soaring to the number one spot is Detroit Tigers star shortstop Kevin McGonigle. The rookie sensation has taken the league by storm with his stellar contact and speed combination. The 21-year-old is leading the way for the Tigers, in his 63 games he is slashing .291/.394/.426 with 69 hits, four home runs and nine stolen bases.
Falling to the number two spot is the southside slugger, first baseman Munetaka Murakami. Murakami has proved many of his doubters wrong this season. He has the second most home runs in the American League with 20 while holding a .938 OPS. The would likely still be in the number one stop if not for his right hamstring strain he sustained on May 30 and will keep him on the shelf for the coming weeks.
Coming into the number three spot is Guardians left-handed pitcher Parker Messick. While not being a flamethrowing, the 25-year-old has a devastating pitch mix led by his four-seam fastball (that only sits at 94 mph) and changeup. Over his 13 starts, he holds a 2.40 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 75 innings. Messick has easily been the best rookie pitcher in baseball this season.
Messick's teammate Travis Bazzana comes in at the number four spot. If not for his small sample size, Bazzana would likely be higher on this list. In his 37 games, the second basement is slashing .263/.350/.431 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. Not only is Bazzana the best rookie second baseman, but he is making a case for the best second baseman in the American League.
Finally, Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle sits in the last spot. Despite only eight starts, Tolle has been great for an injury riddled pitching staff in Boston. He is pitching to a 2.28 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings.
Missing from the list is Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. On the season, Okamoto is slashing .231/.311/.424 with 13 home runs and 37 RBIs. The 29-year-old has been the Blue Jays cleanup hitter. He would likely be on the list, like he has been in past weeks, if not for his .638 OPS over his last 30 games. He has seemingly bounced back in his last seven games with a .843 OPS, we will see if the rookie is able to keep this up.
This list will likely change a lot throughout the course of the season. But all these emerge as the top contenders for the American League Rookie of the Year, in a truly loaded 2026 rookie class.
