McGonigle and Stewart win Rookie of the Year; Benge finishes second

Kevin McGonigle received 28 of 30 first-place votes to win the American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award on Monday. Sal Stewart took the National League award with 20 first-place votes, ahead of Mets outfielder Carson Benge and Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt.

The AL result was decisive. Detroit’s McGonigle finished with 204 points, Cleveland’s Parker Messick had 122 and Boston’s Payton Tolle had 54. McGonigle was first or second on every ballot. Messick received the other two first-place votes.

McGonigle’s season combined everyday availability with an unusually mature offensive approach. MLB.com reports that he led the AL with 707 plate appearances and 7.1 Baseball-Reference wins above replacement. His 95 walks helped make him productive even without a middle-of-the-order home-run total.

Two Mets in the top four

Stewart finished with 170 points. Benge received seven first-place votes and 107 points; Wetherholt received three first-place votes and 99 points. Mets pitcher Nolan McLean was fourth with 70 points, including six second-place selections. A.J. Ewing also received one fifth-place vote.

The Mets had two different kinds of recognition. Benge was seven writers’ first choice, while McLean appeared on 29 of 30 ballots without a first-place selection. Benge appeared on 28. That distinction explains why ballot presence alone did not determine the order: placement mattered.

The published five-place scoring system awards seven, four, three, two and one points. Benge’s seven first-place votes contributed 49 points, nearly half his total. Stewart was the only NL candidate named on every ballot. Voting closed before the postseason, so October performance was outside this award’s scope.

A draft consequence for both winners

Stewart hit 32 home runs, drove in 112 runs and played all 162 games. MLB.com identifies him as Cincinnati’s first rookie to combine 30 homers and 100 RBIs. The daily availability gave the Reds a consistent presence in a season that ended short of the playoffs.

There is also a roster-building reward. MLB.com reports that Detroit and Cincinnati each gain a supplemental first-round selection in the 2027 draft through the Prospect Promotion Incentive. Both clubs carried the eventual winner on the Opening Day roster. The awards therefore add future talent opportunities to the value each player already supplied.

For the Mets, the result documents a productive rookie class without giving them the trophy. Benge’s second-place finish and McLean’s fourth place are separate achievements, with different voting profiles. The full BBWAA ballots below show how the writers arrived at them.