JJ Wetherholt or Sal Stewart? NL Rookie of the Year Favorites With One Month to Go

This race could come down to the wire

Aug 19, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) and St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) talk during the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The race for this season's National League Rookie of the Year Award could be one of the closest in recent memory.

Several big-name prospects have been called up to the big leagues this year and immediately made an impact. But in the end, not all of them can walk away with the highly coveted hardware. Here are some of the current top candidates for the 2026 NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Sal Stewart

Aug 6, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart bats against the Athletics in the seventh inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cincinnati Reds slugger Sal Stewart is putting together an impressive offensive campaign this season, especially in his first full year in the big leagues. The 22-year-old's 28 home runs rank 15th in the majors. He even has 11 more homers than any other rookie in the National League.

Stewart is also the first player in the majors to reach 100 RBIs this year. He's the first rookie with 100 RBIs in a season since Pete Alonso in 2019, according to the official MLB account on X/Twitter. That's good company for the Cincinnati slugger since Alonso won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2019.

After Stewart on the RBI leaderboard, the next closest rookie in either league is Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto with 74. If the Reds infielder continues to produce at the plate in September, he should have a strong case for this season's NL Rookie of the Year.

JJ Wetherholt

Aug 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) runs off the field at the end of the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

From the moment St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt made his MLB debut, he's looked like he'll have a bright future in this league. The 23-year-old is hitting .245 with 17 homers, 48 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases in his rookie season.

But Wetherholt has really stood out in the field. The 2024 first-round pick is already viewed as one of the best defensive second basemen in the entire league. However, it's unclear if that will be enough to make up the difference between his offensive numbers and Stewart's.

Carson Benge

Aug 22, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge has emerged as a true NL Rookie of the Year candidate in the second half of the season. The 23-year-old has a .354 batting average and a .989 OPS in August. He's now hitting .281 with 16 homers, 53 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases this year.

If Benge continues to swing a hot bat over the final weeks of the season, the race for the 2026 NL Rookie of the Year Award could get even more interesting down the stretch.

Nolan McLean

Aug 17, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another Mets rookie who's performed well lately is right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean. The 25-year-old has allowed just two earned runs over his last three starts this month. The young hurler now has a 2.74 ERA in August, building on his 1.78 ERA over five starts in July. On the season, the right-hander has a 3.21 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 148 2/3 innings.

If any pitcher is going to make a late push for the NL Rookie of the Year Award this season, McLean appears to have the best chance.