Staff Predictions for 2026 MLB Awards Season
The Just Baseball staff voted on their picks for the major end-of-season awards across both leagues following the conclusion of the 2026 regular season. The article highlights how their selections sometimes differ from the official Baseball Writers Association of America voting, with Yordan Alvarez receiving 72% of staff votes for AL MVP. The piece demonstrates the competitive nature of award races and provides insight into how different voters evaluate player performances.
The Just Baseball staff conducted an internal voting exercise for the 2026 season awards, mirroring a similar exercise from the previous year. Their methodology differed from the official Baseball Writers Association of America process by providing staff members with approximately three candidate options plus the ability to write in additional players, rather than the BBWAA's standard top-10 ballot approach. This alternative voting structure allows the publication to explore how different evaluative frameworks might produce varying outcomes.
Alvarez's commanding performance at the plate generated the strongest consensus among the staff voters. His offensive statistics positioned him as one of the year's most dominant hitters, with his weighted runs created plus metric leading all of Major League Baseball. The article notes that despite the Houston Astros' overall weak performance and surprising playoff qualification as the lowest-seeded team, Alvarez's individual contributions were substantial enough to warrant serious award consideration from the voting panel.
Baseball award voting can influence player valuations, contract negotiations, and future career opportunities, making voting methodology and consensus noteworthy to stakeholders in professional baseball. Sports media outlets' award predictions may shape public perception and fan engagement with award races, potentially affecting viewership during the official voting period. The comparison between staff and official voters demonstrates how evaluation criteria and weighting can produce different conclusions about player performance, which could interest analysts studying sports decision-making and voting bias.