The Arizona Diamondbacks, with the World Series imminent and the end of the season drawing near, have released the team-specific Arizona BBWAA Awards for their 2026 campaign. There are no surprises.
A release from the team revealed the Diamondbacks' Most Valuable Player, Most Valuable Pitcher and Rookie of the Year. On top of those more standard awards, there is also the Good Guy Award and D-backs Luis Gonzalez award.
Here's who the Arizona BBWAA landed on for each honor:
Sep 24, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Gabriel Moreno (14) celebrates his three-run home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
No one came particularly close to overtaking Gabriel Moreno's quest for the Diamondbacks' MVP award. Truthfully, he should receive some national-level NL MVP votes, as well.
Moreno hit .311 in 2026, winning the National League batting title while posting a .874 OPS . He crushed 16 homers, brought in 83 RBI and remained healthy enough to play in 130 games.
All of those numbers smash his previous career bests. In a season where Arizona's offense struggled with consistency and situational production, Moreno was a force at the plate.
Couple that with more strong defense behind the plate, plus another Gold Glove finalist nod , and Moreno was worth an average WAR of just over 6.0, leading the team. Moreno was the most valuable player on Arizona's roster, without a doubt.
Sep 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (57) throws against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
There were some other candidates for Arizona's team-equivalent "Cy Young" winner, but Eduardo Rodriguez stands out.
The left-hander had the renaissance he'd been searching for since posting two 5.00-plus-ERA seasons in 2024 and 2025.
He was healthier, slimmed-down and extremely effective all season, posting a 2.89 ERA and earning 16 wins over 189.2 innings. The Diamondbacks won 23 of the 32 games he started; Rodriguez consistently played a stabilizing role in an unstable Arizona rotation.
The choice was obvious. Rodriguez's 2026 season was the backbone of the Diamondbacks' success.
Sep 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandyn Garcia (55) during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Diamondbacks' rookie of the year winner was not a hitter, but it was one of Arizona's most impactful relief arms of the season.
Left-hander Brandyn Garcia, who was the return of the Josh Naylor trade in 2025 , did not make the roster out of camp. He simply couldn't command the baseball. Despite that, he earned another major league opportunity on May 1 and excelled as the club's lone southpaw reliever.
Garcia was brilliant, pitching to a 1.93 ERA in 51.1 innings. He quickly assumed a high-leverage role, converting all five of his save opportunities and picking up 18 holds. He struck out 60 and limited his walks to just 11.
Sep 26, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Kevin Ginkel (37) throws a pitch during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The BBWAA Good Guy Award is given to a player or staff member who exemplifies cooperation, professionalism and positivity, with the media and in the community.
Right-hander Kevin Ginkel often takes ample time and effort to speak with reporters, and has been a positive, thoughtful member of Arizona's clubhouse during his eight-year MLB career in Arizona.
Ginkel pitched to a 4.12 ERA over 67.2 innings. He's been one of Arizona's most reliable arms, with a 3.91 career ERA in the majors. He is a free agent, however, and is unlikely to return after posting what appeared to be a goodbye to Arizona on his Instagram account.
Aug 25, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas (left) throws to first after forcing out sliding Chicago Cubs base runner Michael Busch at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Luis Gonzalez award is an in-house award given to the D-backs player who "best exemplifies the talents, spirit of Gonzo both on and off the field, including baseball accomplishments, community impact and fan engagement, as voted on by his teammates, coaches, and staff members," acording to the team.
Ildemaro Vargas surged forward as a fan-favorite in 2026, not only with his extremely positive presence in the locker room, but also with his versatility.
Vargas hit to an astounding, record-producing .378/.398/.689 slash line through his first month of the season.
That cooled off to an eventual .675 full-season OPS, but he did provide enough quality defense at numerous infield positions, which earned him a nomination for the NL Utility Gold Glove Award.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi as Diamondbacks Team BBWAA Awards Are Out. They're Exactly Who You Think .
