AL Players of the Month: May 2026

As the 2026 MLB season heats up, it’s important to acknowledge the players and teams that are off to hot starts as the summer approaches.

In the AL, early returns have been impressive for small-market teams like the Rays and Guardians. The Yankees are also off to a great start, while the White Sox have been overachieving, evidenced by an 18-10 month.

The best hitter in the American League in May resided in the Bronx, and surprisingly, it was not Aaron Judge. The hitter of the month is proving the contract the Yankees gave him to be a smart one, as he helped New York to a 16-12 May.

In terms of pitching, the AL’s best of May was part of an overachieving Tampa Bay Rays team, becoming an anchor in the front of their rotation despite missing the previous two MLB seasons to injury.

These are Just Baseball’s AL Hitter and Pitcher of the Month for May.

Hitter of the Month: Cody Bellinger

May stats: 28 G, 123 PA, 5 HR, 23 RBI, .304/.415/.578, 176 wRC+

The Cody Bellinger contract is looking to be good value for the Yankees early on in 2026. New York inked the versatile left-handed hitter to a five-year contract worth $162.5 million over the offseason, and he has been one of their most productive players in the first year of that deal.

While the former NL MVP has never returned to that level of play, he has established himself as a star once again since his departure from Los Angeles. This scorching May for Bellinger is a great sign for the Yankees, as he built off a solid first month of the season.

From late March into April, the two-time Silver Slugger posted a .326 wOBA and a 107 wRC+. In May, he jumped up to a .428 wOBA and a 176 wRC+. The production Bellinger has given the Yankees is exactly what they would like to see behind one of baseball’s premier hitters.

The Yankees outfielder has been better at slugging the ball in May, a promising sign for Yankees brass. Bellinger’s slugging percentage jumped from .367 to .578. He tallied 16 XBH in May following an April in which he only totaled seven.

Bellinger had a sub .700 OPS in the first month of the season, but his .993 OPS in the month of May was enough to earn him the honor of Just Baseball’s AL Hitter of the Month.

If the Yankees want to go far, they’ll hope to have this level of production protecting Aaron Judge for the duration of the season.

Honorable Mentions

Nick Kurtz

May stats: 28 G, 125 PA, 5 HR, 26 RBI, .333/.456/.529, 183 wRC+

May was just another month where Nick Kurtz did Nick Kurtz things. In his brief time in the big leagues, Kurtz has a career OPS of .983. Somehow, the lefty slugger had yet another month where he raised his numbers.

The Athletics franchise cornerstone’s start has been different from Bellinger’s. May wasn’t a month where he turned around his season; it was one in which he solidified his stardom.

The 2025 AL Rookie of the Year surpassed a 1.000 OPS in his freshman campaign while logging a 4.6 fWAR. Most top MLB prospects experience a learning curve and sophomore slump. Kurtz, however, hasn’t looked back.

The player Kurtz showed us in May is the one fans can expect to see for years to come. The first baseman posted a 1.025 OPS, while reaching a 183 wRC+, putting him 83% above league average.

Despite April being an elite month for the A’s star, he raised his wOBA from .381 to .444 in the month of May. Kurtz has been the best in baseball at getting on base, leading the league with a .439 OBP. On top of that, Kurtz ranks in the 98th percentile in hard-hit rate according to Baseball Savant. Not only does the slugger get on base at an elite clip, he hits the ball as hard as anyone.

Kurtz’s May showcase represents the importance of recognizing honorable mentions. His showing deserves discussion and reinforces A’s fans’ confidence in him as their franchise player as they aim to turn around the organization.

Jonathan Aranda

May stats: 26 G, 112 PA, 4 HR, 18 RBI, .374/.464/.560, 183 wRC+

The Tampa Bay Rays were the second-best team in baseball in May. A key cog in Tampa Bay’s success has been first baseman Jonathan Aranda.

Aranda has emerged as a key piece for a Rays team attempting to turn it around following his breakout 2025 season. It was an All-Star campaign in which Aranda finished the season, hitting .316 with an OPS of .883.

After a disappointing April this year, in which Aranda hit below the Mendoza line, he enjoyed a resurgence once the calendar flipped to May. Aranda sat at a remarkable .374 average with a whopping 1.024 OPS.

Aranda’s wOBA jumped nearly 100 points from April to May, from .341 to .440. Aranda also doubled his hit total from April to May, while cutting down his strikeouts slightly. Essentially, in May, Jonathan Aranda was a hit machine, warranting his spot as an honorable mention for AL Hitter of the Month.

The Rays went 18-8 in the month of May, and Jonathan Aranda at the top of their lineup was a key catalyst in their success in taking control of the AL East before the calendar flipped to June.

Pitcher of the Month: Shane McClanahan

May stats: 6 GS, 32.0 IP, 1.41 ERA, 28 K, 1 HR

It was an excellent month for the Tampa Bay Rays, with Shane McClanahan and Jonathan Aranda both entering player of the month conversations.

The road back to the top wasn’t easy for the Rays ace.

The southpaw burst onto the scene in 2021, when he looked like a frontline starter the Rays could count on for years to come. From 2021 to 2023, McClanahan was one of the best pitchers in baseball. His performance earned him sixth place in AL Cy Young voting in 2022.

Unfortunately for the Rays lefty, he missed all of the 2024 and 2025 big league seasons, only making brief minor league appearances in 2025. After he missed two full MLB seasons, there were understandably questions surrounding McClanahan’s abilities entering 2026. McClanahan, though, has not disappointed.

After a solid first month of the season, McClanahan returned to dominance in May, earning the title of Just Baseball’s AL Pitcher of the Month. He was tough to crack, with opponents hitting just .184 against him, as well as posting just a 5% walk rate.

Other numbers back up McClanahan’s elite month. In May, his WHIP was just 0.84. Aside from keeping runners off the basepaths, the Rays ace had registered an 86.5% left-on-base percentage. He cut down on baserunners, and kept them from scoring even when he allowed them.

McClanahan hasn’t been blowing hitters away with strikeouts, but he’s kept them off base. His low average against, coupled with his low walk rate, translated to just a 1.41 ERA for the month. McClanahan’s success is one of many great signs for the Rays as they make their return to contention in the American League.

Honorable Mentions

Spencer Arrighetti

May stats: 5 GS, 29 IP, 0.93 ERA, 22 K, 1 HR

The Houston Astros’ season has not been going according to plan. The team sits at 27-34 and finds themselves in fourth place in a poor AL West division. A bright spot for the franchise is the emergence of Spencer Arrighetti.

Arrighetti spent the 2024 season in the Astros rotation and made seven starts for them in 2025. Up to this season, he had not been a very productive player. That’s starting to change.

The latest Astros breakout starting pitcher had a remarkable month of May. Arrighetti had just a .165 average against, while hitters slugged just .206 against him. The underlying numbers suggest he might have been fortunate, as he had a 4.18 FIP in the month. Regardless, Arrighetti kept runs off the board, and that’s all Houston can ask for right now.

Arrighetti slightly struggled with command, walking 17 batters in the month. Despite that, he stranded 89.9% of baserunners. With the absence of Hunter Brown, Arrighetti’s showcase is even more crucial for an Astros team looking to turn things around.

While the Astros season hasn’t been their typical contending campaign, it’s not without its bright spots. Perhaps overshadowed by the team’s struggles and Yordan Alvarez’s production, Arrighetti is quietly putting together an elite breakout performance.

Davis Martin

May stats: 5 GS, 30.2 IP, 2.05 ERA, 38 K, 1 HR

May was kind to the Chicago White Sox. That is something many would not have expected to hear entering the season. The club went 18-10 in the month, in large part because of the ace performance Davis Martin provided.

Some break out early, others are late bloomers. That is the case for White Sox’s newest frontline starter. Martin, 29, had trouble finding his groove at the big league level since he debuted in 2022. In 2026, he has finally taken the next step.

May was an eye-opening month for White Sox brass. Martin posted a 2.05 ERA on the month, while allowing a .188 average against. Keeping runners off base was key, and he allowed just a .235 wOBA in the month.

The 6-foot-2 righty was dealing. He finished the month fanning 11.15 hitters per nine, with just a 5% walk rate. Those numbers are always going to be promising. A high strikeout rate paired with a low walk rate is a recipe for success.

The underlying numbers echo that sentiment. Martin had a 1.71 FIP and a 2.25 xERA. A month where Martin limited baserunners and stranded runners at about a 79% clip led to the White Sox discovering a potential premium pitcher.

It didn’t happen early on for Martin and the White Sox, but the young team has far exceeded expectations in 2026. Martin has been an instrumental part of their early success. If he can string together more months like he did in May, the White Sox will likely have one less part of their future up in the air.