The Baseball Writers Association of America released the award finalists Monday night, with winners slated for next week. Will this shake up the award race?
Left‑hander Parker Messick appears with Cam Schlittler and Dylan Cease as AL Cy Young finalists, guaranteeing Cleveland a bonus pick after the first round of the 2027 draft under the Prospect Promotion Incentive rule.
The PPI applies only to rookie‑eligible players who featured on at least two preseason Top‑100 prospect lists from Baseball America, ESPN or MLB Pipeline. Messick debuted last August, stayed rookie‑eligible into 2026, and made the ESPN and Baseball America lists, keeping the Guardians eligible for the extra pick.
The Guardians won’t get another bonus pick if he wins ROY.
Schlittler is the clear favorite, Cease likely a runner‑up, yet Messick’s debut season was outstanding. He posted the AL’s third‑lowest ERA (2.56) over 32 starts, logged 186 1/3 innings (fourth in the league) and struck out 193 batters (eighth). For my money, his first full season ranks among the best ever for a rookie left‑hander.
Although the Rookie of the Year race no longer affects Cleveland’s PPI, it still matters for other clubs. Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle is a top ROY candidate and could earn Detroit a pick, while NL finalists Carson Benge, Sal Stewart and JJ Wetherholt also meet the prospect criteria.
That’s the full scope of PPI stakes this year: a rookie‑eligible player can net a draft choice by finishing in the top three of Cy Young, ROY or MVP voting within their first three full seasons.
However, the rule only helps players who spent a full service year on the roster during their rookie season. Neither Schlittler, Jacob Misiorowski, Pete Crow‑Armstrong nor Junior Caminero satisfy that condition, so they’re ineligible for a PPI pick.
Here are the finalists for all the major awards, courtesy of the BBWAA:
Rookie of the Year (winner revealed Nov. 9)
Manager of the Year (winner revealed Nov. 10)
- Kevin Cash (Rays)
- Chad Tracy (Red Sox)
- Will Venable (White Sox)
- Don Mattingly (Phillies)
- Pat Murphy (Brewers)
- Walt Weiss (Braves)
Cy Young Award (winner revealed Nov. 11)
Reliever of the Year (winner revealed Nov. 11)
Most Valuable Player (winner revealed Nov. 12)
Note: This post initially stated that Tolle was PPI eligible, but he was not on the MLB roster for 172+ days in 2026. MLBTR regrets the error.