New wave of 20-something stars emerge in MLB award races
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 19, 2026, 8:25 PM
Last updated Sep 19, 2026
Baseball's postseason award races are becoming clearer as a group of 20-something players takes center stage. With key figures like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge sidelined, the focus shifts to younger talents such as Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers and Junior Caminero of the Rays. Misiorowski leads all major leagues in ERA and strikeouts, while Caminero has recently claimed the AL home run lead. Also making a mark is Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs, who has set franchise records in homers. As these players showcase exceptional performances, the AL and NL Rookie of the Year races are shaping up with Sal Stewart and Parker Messick as the frontrunners. The competition for the MVP and Cy Young awards remains tight as the regular season approaches its conclusion.
- •Jacob Misiorowski leads the NL Cy Young race with a 1.89 ERA.
- •Junior Caminero is tied for the AL home run lead and excels defensively.
- •Pete Crow-Armstrong sets a Cubs record for homers by a left-handed hitter.
- •Sal Stewart is the frontrunner for NL Rookie of the Year with 32 homers.
- •Parker Messick leads AL rookies with 12 wins and a 2.57 ERA.
- 8:25 PMYahoo Sports — Bill Madden: The 20-something stars are taking over MLB’s award races this season
"NEW YORK — In the absence of Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, the mysterious power outages of Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Cal Raleigh, and the injuries to Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet, baseball’s postseason awards are coming into focus by ushering in a new wave of 20-something superstars. Going into the weekend the teams with the best records in each league were the small market Milwaukee Brewers ...
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