NL Players of the Month: May 2026

The second month of the 2026 Major League Baseball season is officially behind us, meaning it’s time to hand out this month’s award winners. The month of May was electric from top to bottom, as we saw some truly spectacular performances around the league.

In the National League, this couldn’t have been more true. Some of the best overall performances around the sport came out of the NL, including some of the better overall team showings. For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers continued to separate themselves, having one of the best run differentials ever during the month of May.

We also saw one of the craziest battles for Pitcher of the Month the sport has ever seen. In fact, it’s not unrealistic to say that both of these players would’ve been the clear favorites to take home Pitcher of the Month in any other scenario, as the two were spectacular on all cylinders.

However, when our editorial team at Just Baseball was putting together these awards, tough decisions had to be made. While plenty of deserving names were in consideration, these are the players who stood out above the rest.

Without further ado, let’s dive into Just Baseball’s NL Hitter and Pitcher of the Month for May.

Hitter of the Month: James Wood, WSH

May Stats: 127 PA, 6 HR, 22 R, 15 RBI, .311/.425/.557, 176 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR

Against all odds and preseason expectations, the Washington Nationals have been an offensive juggernaut so far this season. They currently lead baseball in runs scored (324) while slugging 77 homers as a squad while producing a wRC+ of 110.

One key reason for that is this month’s May Hitter of the Month: Outfielder James Wood.

The former top prospect and key piece of the Juan Soto trade is meeting all the expectations placed upon him before the season, and he’s been one of the sport’s best hitters to this point.

During play last month, Wood was tied for the lead among all National Leaguers in wRC+ (176), which speaks to the offensive success he’s achieved at the plate recently. He was one of only three NL hitters to post an OBP above .420, and he was the only one of these players to slug .555 or greater.

Wood’s combination of overall offensive production and on-base ability is what really separated him from the pack last month, as he joined multiple other exclusive clubs during May. For example, he was the only NL hitter to hit six or more home runs and post an OBP above .400.

If you dig a little deeper and examine the underlying metrics, Wood continues to blow his competition out of the water. He currently boasts a video game-esque barrel rate of 25.9% and an equally impressive hard-hit rate of 60.5% to match.

Before reading the next number I’m about to share with you, it’s my suggestion that you take a seat. Wood currently boasts the highest average exit velocity in the sport of 96.5 mph, a truly absurd metric all things considered. He joins Oneil Cruz as the only hitters to have a mark over 96 mph, and they both surpass the third-place batter (Pete Alonso) by over a full tick.

What Wood has done at the plate this season can only be described as elite. With 16 homers and a 166 wRC+ to his name across the full season, he’d have a very legitimate MVP argument if the season ended today.

At his current rate of production, this won’t be the last time he wins Just Baseball’s NL Hitter of the Month.

Honorable Mentions

Michael Busch, CHC

May Stats: 130 PA, 4 HR, 12 R, 24 RBI, .300/.446/.510, 173 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR

Although James Wood is having a historic season in the Nation’s capital, Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch wasn’t far behind during May. He was one of three players in baseball to post a wRC+ north of 170 last month, and he’s been a force to be reckoned with all season long when wielding the bat.

By fWAR, Busch was the most valuable NL hitter in May, as he was the only hitter to accrue at least 1.5 fWAR during the month. He led all NL hitters in OBP (.446) and walk rate (19.2%), becoming one of the lone bright spots for a Cubs team that really scuffled all month long and struggled to find their footing.

Busch did all of this while maintaining elite defense at first base. He’s recorded +5 OAA up to this point in 2026, a number that puts him in the top six percent of the league. At his current pace, he could take home his first-ever Gold Glove Award, if not more hardware by season’s end.

Although his performance alone couldn’t spark a turning point in the Cubs’ 2026 season, he can certainly help the club get back on track with another big month. He had a legitimate argument to win Just Baseball’s NL Hitter of the Month Award, but being the runner-up isn’t bad, either.

JJ Bleday, CIN

May Stats: 119 PA, 8 HR, 17 R, 25 RBI, .301/.387/.631, 176 wRC+, 1.2 fWAR

Earlier in this story, I mentioned that three NL hitters recorded a wRC+ of 170 or better last month. James Wood and Michael Busch were two of these players, and the third slugger to do so is the second honorable mention for May: JJ Bleday, one of the biggest breakout stars of the year to this point.

In addition to tying Wood for the NL lead in wRC+, Bleday led hitters in slugging percentage (.631), wOBA (.433), and RBI (25). It was a tremendous month for the former fourth-overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, as he looks like he’s finally found a big-league home in Cincinnati.

After a red-hot start, the Reds have scuffled their way back to last place in a loaded NL Central division. Bleday’s rise has been a big part of that, as his 180 wRC+ on the season leads the team by 36 points.

At this rate, he’s in a position to be the best offensive performer the club has to offer at season’s end, and his May performance has put him on a good pace to make this a reality.

Pitcher of the Month: Cristopher Sánchez, PHI

May Stats: 5 GS, 39 IP, 0.00 ERA, 45 K, 3 BB, 2.1 fWAR

In the introduction, I mentioned the tough race and brutal decision for Just Baseball’s National League Pitcher of the Month. It came down to Jacob Misiorowski and Cristopher Sánchez, with Sánchez getting the ever-slight edge to win the award.

This was thanks to an absurd month, where Sánchez was very close to being perfect on the mound. His performance was something you’d expect to see from a Road to the Show player on beginner difficulty, as Sánchez went the entire month without allowing a single earned run to cross home plate.

According to StatHead, this is the first time since 2012 (R.A Dickey) that a starting pitcher has pitched greater than or equal to 39 innings pitched over five starts, while allowing zero runs and striking out 45 or more batters along the way.

As if this wasn’t wild enough, this feat has only been accomplished eight total times, and five of them belong to Rube Waddell. Six of these instances took place before 1908, making this a truly historic run.

Sánchez was one of two pitchers to rack up more than 2.0 fWAR during May, with the third-place finisher in this category only recording 1.3 fWAR (Chris Sale). On top of that, he was the only left-hander in the league with 45 or more strikeouts last month, and he was the only pitcher in the league to walk fewer than five batters.

Sánchez’s excellence extends far beyond a dominant May. He currently leads baseball in fWAR (3.3), FIP (1.82), and ERA (1.47), making him one of the most feared arms in the sport. At this rate, an NL Cy Young is certainly within his crosshairs; he just needs to continue dominating hitters and staying healthy while doing so.

Although this decision was far from easy, Sánchez certainly deserves this award. His month of May was nothing shy of historic, and it should be properly rewarded as a result.

Honorable Mentions

Jacob Misiorowski, MIL

May Stats: 6 GS, 38.1 IP, 0.23 ERA, 57 K, 6 BB, 2.4 fWAR

As mentioned in the section above, the race for Just Baseball’s NL Pitcher of the Month came down to Cristopher Sánchez and Jacob Misiorowski, with Sánchez ultimately getting the edge. This isn’t to discredit what Misiorowski did in any way, shape, or form, as his May was also quite historic in its own right.

Misiorowski recorded a mind-boggling 2.4 fWAR during last month’s play, putting him alone at the top of the National League leaderboard. On top of leading the league in fWAR, Misiorowski also led the NL in FIP (0.65), xERA (1.51), and strikeouts (57). In fact, he was the only NL pitcher to record more than 50 strikeouts last month, which speaks to his elite time on the mound.

Similarly to Sánchez, Misiorowski also made baseball history during this stretch. According to StatHead, he became the fifth player in baseball history with 57 or more strikeouts and one or fewer earned runs allowed through a six-game span, a feat that’s only happened 10 times overall in the game’s lengthy history.

Few pitchers in baseball are capable of dominating in this way, throwing as hard as Misiorowski or leading a rotation the way he has for the Milwaukee Brewers. Even if he didn’t take home Just Baseball’s NL Pitcher of the Month Award, his May is still something to be quite proud of.

Kyle Harrison, MIL

May Stats: 5 GS, 28 IP, 0.96 ERA, 31 K, 6 BB, 1.2 fWAR

Last month, Jacob Misiorowski wasn’t the only Brewers starting pitcher to take the league by storm and pitch his way into the headlines. Alongside Misiorowski stood Kyle Harrison, a former top prospect who has truly found a home in Milwaukee after being traded twice within the last calendar year.

Last month, Harrison was nearly lights out. He only allowed three earned runs across 28 innings of work, racking up 1.2 fWAR and striking out 31 batters along the way. Most importantly, the Brewers have been the first team to truly unlock Harrison’s fastball, which has been a key piece of his success so far this season.

As it currently stands, Harrison’s heater has been virtually untouchable. It’s registered a whiff rate and strikeout rate above 30% for the first time in his career, while also producing a hard-hit rate of only 31.3%, a new career-best.

Even if it may still be early, Harrison looks like he’s breaking out and taking his game to a whole new level. He’s the most recent example of a slew of Brewers player development successes, and it may not be long until he takes home the top spot in one of these stories.