For the third straight season, the World Series champion has come out of the National League. The Milwaukee Brewers dominated both the regular season and postseason en route to the first World Series championship in franchise history. But the Brewers weren’t the only team with a strong season. The Los Angeles Dodgers had their first 100-win season since 2023. The Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres were able to have over 90 wins. But it was not just the teams that had a good season. Several players and coaches delivered great performances we will talk about for years to come. Here are the 2026 Blitz Sports National League award winners.
National League MVP: Pete Crow-Armstrong
Without question, Pete Crow-Armstrong was the best player in the National League this season. He appeared in all 162 games and slashed .280/.372/.570 with 45 home runs, 107 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 156. He led MLB with 119 runs and was tied with Kyle Schwarber for the most home runs. He led the National League in slugging percentage, OPS, and OPS+. But Crow-Armstrong was not just a threat at the plate. He had 41 stolen bases last season and ranked in the 95th percentile for sprint speed. His defense was also fantastic, ranking in the 100th percentile in Outs Above Average and the 90th percentile in arm strength.
Cy Young: Jacob Misiorowski
At the start of the season, several candidates were in the running for the National League Cy Young award. But as the season went on, it became increasingly clear that Jacob Misiorowski was the obvious pick. When you throw more than 50% of your pitches at or over 100 mph, it’s hard not to pick him. In 30 starts this season, he had an MLB-low 1.80 ERA over 174 2/3 innings with an MLB-high 252 strikeouts to 44 walks. He also led the MLB with a 232 ERA+ and a 0.802 WHIP. He established himself as the unquestioned best pitcher in baseball this season. We are at the start of a very special career.
Rookie of the Year: Carson Benge
Through the first month of the season, saying Carson Benge would be the rookie of the year would be laughable. His batting average was on the interstate, and it appeared that he was going to be sent to Triple-A. But once the Calendar flipped to May, he turned his season around. Over 156 games, he slashed .282/.346/.430 with 20 home runs, 65 RBIs, and a 118 OPS+. But it was not just his turnaround at the plate that earned him this award. He showed that he had one of the best arms in the majors. He ranked in the 100th percentile for arm value and the 99th percentile for arm strength.
Manager of the Year: Don Mattingly
Any time a manager rallies the team after a slow start and gets them to make the playoffs, they are all but a shoo-in for Manager of the Year. But what makes Don Mattingly season even more impressive is that he took over midway through the season. Mattingly took over to turn the Philadelphia Phillies around after a 9-19 start and fired manager Rob Thompson. This seemed like a next-to-impossible task. But Mattingly got the Phillies roster to buy in and led them to a 79-55 record and their five straight postseason appearances. To take a team from last place in the division to the postseason is fantastic.
