Handing out individual awards for the Brewers' record-breaking 2026 regular season

The Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up the 2026 regular season with a franchise-best 103 wins, comfortably surpassing their previous record of 97, set just one year ago. A season like that required significant contributions from throughout the roster, with players stepping up in a variety of ways. With that in mind, here are Reviewing the Brew’s individual awards for the 2026 regular season.

Individual awards for the Brewers' memorable 2026 regular season

Newcomer of the Year - LHP Kyle Harrison 

There were several new faces on the 2026 Brewers, but Harrison arguably stood out among the rest. While his rough finish to the season, particularly his struggles in late August and September, is what many fans may think about right now, his overall body of work deserves more recognition. Harrison posted a 2.57 ERA through his first 15 starts and still carried an ERA below 3.00 through his first 21. What he provided the pitching staff for much of the season was significant, and his early-season impact can’t be overlooked, even if it was accompanied by second-half inconsistency.

Most Improved Player - 1B/OF Jake Bauers

At age 30, left-handed hitter Jake Bauers put together the best season of his career by a wide margin. After earning consistent playing time early in the year, in part due to Andrew Vaughn's early-season injury, he continued to produce throughout the season, finishing fifth among National League hitters in both walks (94) and overall OPS (.873), while also finishing fifth in OPS when facing left-handed pitchers (.901). He also added 26 home runs, 86 RBI, and 11 stolen bases, making 2026 a true breakout season for Bauers.

Gold Glove(s) - LF Jackson Chourio, C William Contreras, 2B Brice Turang

Realistically, three Brewers could end up winning Gold Glove Awards this year, which is slightly surprising given the fact that Milwaukee's overall defensive unit took a small step back this year. However, each of Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, and Brice Turang deserves recognition for the incredible defensive performances they turned in this year.

Despite missing a month of the season, Chourio has made a strong case for the NL Gold Glove in left field. His combination of range and arm strength bailed out the Brewers on countless occasions, reflected in his strong DRS and OAA numbers. He also finished second in the NL with eight outfield assists.

Contreras also deserves some love for his work behind the plate. Despite once again logging more than 1,000 innings at catcher, Contreras went the entire season without committing an error, a rarity as seen in the graphic below from Dominic Cotroneo. He also threw out 25 would-be base stealers, the second-most in the NL, while posting a 34% caught-stealing rate.

Turang, however, was the most valuable Brewers defender on paper this year, and is currently locked into a tight race with St. Louis Cardinals' rookie JJ Wetherholt for the NL's Gold Glove at second base. Turang, who had a down season defensively by his standards in 2025, bounced back with an incredible season this year, and leads Wetherholt in DRS, which is the metric that usually determines the Gold Glove winner in the infield.

Silver Slugger - 2B Brice Turang

In 2026, Brice Turang once again took a step forward at the plate, putting together the most productive offensive season of his career. He led the team with 156 hits while adding 21 home runs, 37 doubles, and 100 RBI. Turang established himself as one of the Brewers’ most important offensive contributors, providing consistent production throughout the season. His combination of reliability and impressive numbers makes him a deserving recipient of the Silver Slugger award.

Rookie of the Year - RHP Logan Henderson 

After making five appearances in 2025, Logan Henderson built on his promising debut with an impressive full rookie campaign in 2026. He has opened his career by making 23 consecutive starts without allowing more than three earned runs, a streak that remains intact heading into the postseason and ties Zac Gallen’s MLB record. Henderson finished his rookie season with a 2.47 ERA across 18 starts, maintained focus amidst trade talks, and proved why he should be a key piece of the Brewers’ rotation going forward.

Cy Young - RHP Jacob Misiorowski 

To no surprise, Jacob Misiorowski takes home the Brewers’ Cy Young Award after a historic 2026 season. He finished the year with a record-setting .157 opponent batting average and a 37.9% strikeout rate, the second-highest mark ever recorded by a qualified pitcher in a full season. His .802 WHIP ranks as the third-lowest mark by any qualified starter in MLB history, while his 252 strikeouts and 1.80 ERA were the best in Major League Baseball this year.

MVP - RHP Jacob Misiorowski 

At Reviewing the Brew, we’re doubling down on Jacob Misiorowski as our choice for both the Cy Young and MVP awards. The Brewers went 22-8 across his 30 starts, with Misiorowski earning 16 wins of his own. FanGraphs also credited him with a team-best 6.6 WAR, further highlighting just how valuable he was to the Brewers throughout the 2026 season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow