MLB's early 2026 Rookie of the Year leaderboard is riddled with NL Central talent

At various points throughout the 2025 season, four different members of the Milwaukee Brewers looked like shoo-ins to at least be finalists for the NL Rookie of the Year Award at season's end. A strong start out of the gates put starting pitcher Chad Patrick near the top of the NL ROY leaderboard as the calendar turned from May to June. Then, Jacob Misiorowski's electric first five starts, which led to one of the most improbable All-Star selections of all time, had Brewers fans almost certain that he would be the NL ROY when all was said and done. However, it was Miz's teammate, Isaac Collins, who won NL Rookie of the Month in July and followed it up with a Player of the Week Award during the first week of August, thus throwing his hat into the Rookie of the Year ring as well.

When the finalists were revealed for the NL ROY, it was the steady season that Caleb Durbin put together that was recognized by MLB, while his aforementioned teammates were left simply rooting for their third baseman, who ultimately lost the award to Atlanta Braves catcher and Wisconsin native Drake Baldwin.

Despite having four players who at one point or another looked destined for the 2025 NL ROY Award, not many expected the Brewers to have a rookie in the award mix prior to the start of the 2025 season. Patrick and Collins were hardly on anyone's radar, and neither had secured guaranteed everyday roles on Milwaukee's roster before the season commenced. Misiorowski certainly had plenty of hype, but uncertainty about when he would finally debut led many to doubt his ROY candidacy at this time last year. Durbin certainly garnered plenty of attention following his 2024 Arizona Fall League performance, which was shortly followed by his inclusion in the Devin Williams blockbuster, but a ROY Award seemed out of reach, especially after he missed out on the Opening Day roster.

The overarching point is that the season rarely plays out as many expect it to, which is amplified when it comes to rookies. The uncertainty and adjustment that exist at the beginning of a player's career make it very difficult to predict who will eventually be nominated for the ROY Awards at the end of the season. Such a reality should come as comfort to Brewers fans as they examine MLB.com's early leaderboard of 2026 NL ROY candidates, seeing as it's riddled with NL Central talent.

St. Louis Cardinals' infield prospect JJ Wetherholt tops an NL Central-heavy leaderboard of early 2026 NL ROY candidates

MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, one of the top prospect analyzers in the industry, published his fourth iteration of his annual MLB Pipeline preseason executive poll in which he surveys front offices across the league to gain an in-depth understanding of how MLB executives view the next class of major league talent. It's an excellent read well worth your time, and free to access over at MLB.com (the article is linked below for your convenience).

Who will win Rookie of the Year in '26? We polled baseball execs

When it comes to the NL, receiving the most votes from MLB executives when asked the question "who will win the Rookie of the Year Award in 2026" was the St. Louis Cardinals' top-ranked prospect JJ Wetherholt. The 23-year-old Wetherholt, who is also the No. 5-ranked prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline, has the ability to play second, third, or short, and should the Cardinals end up moving on from both Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado this winter, as many expect, it's likely he will earn a starting job on Opening Day. After a college career at the University of West Virginia, the Cardinals selected Wetherholt with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Since then, he's impressed in the minor leagues with his toolsy profile that led to 17 HR and 23 SB in 109 games split between Double-A and Triple-A last year.

Behind Wetherholt is a whole host of NL Central prospects. The third and fourth spots on Mayo's poll are occupied by Pittsburgh Pirates' prospects. Konnor Griffin, the top-ranked prospect in all of baseball, received the third-most votes from executives around the league, but it's still uncertain what his role will be heading into the 2026 season. Pittsburgh has talked about offering a pre-MLB Debut long-term contract to their talented young shortstop, who was picked two spots behind Wetherholt in 2024, but with the Pirates being notorious for their service time manipulation tactics, let's file that hypothetical contract into the "I'll believe it when I see it" category.

Following Griffin is starting pitcher Bubba Chandler, who made his debut for the Pirates last year, but maintains his rookie status heading into the 2026 season. Chandler showed flashes of brilliance in a swingman role last season that suggest he will form a formidable duo with Paul Skenes in Pittsburgh's rotation for the foreseeable future.

Tied for the fifth most votes is Cincinnati Reds' infield prospect Sal Stewart, who currently checks in as the No. 31-ranked prospect in all of baseball. Like Chandler, Stewart made his MLB Debut in 2025, and was rather impressive in the 18 games he appeared in. Stewart slashed .255/.293/.545 with 5 HR, good for an OPS of .839 that most any big leaguer would be happy with. With the ability to play either corner infield position, expect Stewart to be a big part of Cincinnati's lineup in 2026.

Though no Brewers prospects appear on Mayo's executive poll, don't rule out a couple members of their 2026 squad making a push for the NL ROY Award next season. Both Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser, who have already made their MLB Debuts, have yet to amass enough service time to take away their rookie status, meaning both are eligible for the award in 2026. Additionally, if Jeferson Quero's role on the 2026 roster ends up being more prominent than fans are expecting, his name could enter the NL ROY conversation next season as well. Regardless, one thing is apparent: there's a new wave of talent joining the NL Central in the near future.