Yordan Alvarez wins AL MVP after leading league in key hitting stats
The 29-year-old Astros slugger secured the unanimous award after a season where he nearly claimed the Triple Crown.
By Alina Marshall ·
Yordan Alvarez has been named the unanimous American League MVP by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The announcement came on Thursday night, confirming that no other player received a first-place vote on the ballot.
The voting process involves two writers from each of the 15 American League chapters. Each voter ranks ten players, with first-place selections earning 14 points and tenth-place selections earning one point. These ballots are submitted before the playoffs begin because the award recognizes regular-season performance.
Alvarez, who is 29 years old, returned to health after a difficult 2025 season in which he played in only 48 games due to injuries. In 2026, he stayed off the injured list and appeared in 158 games. He finished the year with a .316 batting average, a .432 on-base percentage, and a .601 slugging percentage. He also hit 42 home runs, drove in 106 runs, and scored 105 times, accumulating 6.8 wins above replacement.
The Astros star came close to winning the Triple Crown, missing the title by one home run and seven RBI. However, he led all of Major League Baseball in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. His on-base percentage lead was particularly large, as he topped the next best player by 42 percentage points. His OPS of 1.033 was 90 points higher than the runner-up, National League MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong, who recorded an OPS of .943.
Only five players in MLB history have led the majors in all three categories of the triple slash line: Aaron Judge in 2025, Miguel Cabrera in 2013, Barry Bonds in 2002, Larry Walker in 1999, and George Brett in 1980. Alvarez becomes the third Astros player to win the MVP, joining Jeff Bagwell from 1994 and Jose Altuve from 2017.
Junior Caminero of the Rays finished second in the voting. The 22-year-old third baseman played all 162 games and led Tampa Bay to the best record in the American League. He posted a .276 average.360 on-base percentage, and .524 slugging percentage with 42 home runs and 101 RBI. His 5.7 WAR made him the first Rays player ever to finish in the top five for MVP.
Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals placed third. This marks his fourth consecutive season finishing in the top seven and his third straight season in the top four. He hit .281 with 18 home runs, 54 RBI, and 94 runs while stealing 45 bases. His 6.7 WAR reflects his all-around contribution on the field.
