KluberSociety
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I figured I'd post this because we have 2 legit contenders and it actually has implications outside of trophies and self esteem boosts. Also the competition at this point appears almost entirely to be within the AL Central division.
The main villains:
Kevin McGonigle 3B/SS DET- One of the best pure hitter prospects in a while, and that's what he's done so far. 154 wRC+ through his first 141 PA with what appears to be neutral luck. His defense can be something to watch, as he has -5 OAA combined between 3B and SS already, where he looks like the 21 year old he is. Increasingly sabermetric-conscious voters may not be so forgiving in 2026.
Munetaka Murakami 1B CHW - A "Three True Outcomes" bat from Japan who already has 13 HR in 141 PA. He has an Aaron Judge-like 95.4 average exit velocity, but his 60% contact rate can be his Achilles' heel, more Gallo than Judge. He may have to pay a tax for ROY consideration considering he is 26 years old with 246 NPB HR's already. While he played mostly 3B in Japan, he appears glued to 1B for Chicago.
The main heroes:
Chase DeLauter - So far has a 149 wRC+, slightly behind McGonigle in hitting stats and peripherals. Both are similar kinds of hitters, with very advanced approaches, lots of contact, and pop closer to league average. He will probably have to outslug to win on the offensive side, and may be able to win on the defensive side just by being an average RF.
Parker Messick - 1.73 ERA so far. Historically pitchers don't win the ROY that much but two pitchers won in 2024 so it may be more likely than we'd otherwise think. Though with the quality of offensive competition, he will have to likely continue to blow away the competition with video game numbers for the full season.
The main villains:
Kevin McGonigle 3B/SS DET- One of the best pure hitter prospects in a while, and that's what he's done so far. 154 wRC+ through his first 141 PA with what appears to be neutral luck. His defense can be something to watch, as he has -5 OAA combined between 3B and SS already, where he looks like the 21 year old he is. Increasingly sabermetric-conscious voters may not be so forgiving in 2026.
Munetaka Murakami 1B CHW - A "Three True Outcomes" bat from Japan who already has 13 HR in 141 PA. He has an Aaron Judge-like 95.4 average exit velocity, but his 60% contact rate can be his Achilles' heel, more Gallo than Judge. He may have to pay a tax for ROY consideration considering he is 26 years old with 246 NPB HR's already. While he played mostly 3B in Japan, he appears glued to 1B for Chicago.
The main heroes:
Chase DeLauter - So far has a 149 wRC+, slightly behind McGonigle in hitting stats and peripherals. Both are similar kinds of hitters, with very advanced approaches, lots of contact, and pop closer to league average. He will probably have to outslug to win on the offensive side, and may be able to win on the defensive side just by being an average RF.
Parker Messick - 1.73 ERA so far. Historically pitchers don't win the ROY that much but two pitchers won in 2024 so it may be more likely than we'd otherwise think. Though with the quality of offensive competition, he will have to likely continue to blow away the competition with video game numbers for the full season.
