MLB award races heat up with Ohtani and Crow-Armstrong leading contenders

As of August 20, 2026, MLB awards races are tightening as the season approaches its conclusion. In the National League MVP race, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs are performing exceptionally, both hitting three homers recently. Crow-Armstrong holds a slight edge with a 7.8 WAR, compared to Ohtani's 6.8. In the American League, Cam Schlittler of the Yankees and Dylan Cease of the Blue Jays are neck-and-neck for the Cy Young Award, with Schlittler currently leading. Other races appear more settled, with Astros' Yordan Alvarez leading the AL MVP and Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski dominating the NL Cy Young standings. The highly competitive Rookie of the Year races also showcase several strong candidates, including Kevin McGonigle and Sal Stewart.

• 3:16 PMYahoo Sports — MLB awards races: Examining the top contenders