Yordan Alvarez faced competitors for the American League MVP title, but ultimately the decision was unanimous. The designated hitter secured the award on Thursday, receiving all 30 first-place votes from the BBWAA.
Alvarez becomes the third player from the Houston Astros to capture this accolade, following in the footsteps of Jose Altuve in 2017 and Jeff Bagwell in 1994. He surpassed finalists Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals.
Caminero received 27 votes for second place, while Witt and Cy Young Award winner Cam Schlittler shared the remaining three votes.
Alvarez had a remarkable season, bouncing back from an injury-plagued 2025 and achieving personal bests in batting average, on-base percentage, home runs, RBIs, and runs scored. His impressive .319/.432/.601 slash line ensured he claimed the top average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage in the league. Additionally, he led the American League in walks, total bases, and OPS+.
In addition to winning the MVP title, Alvarez also took home the AL Hank Aaron Award for being the league’s top hitter, the AL Comeback Player of the Year award, and the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. He also garnered All-MLB recognition and is likely to receive Silver Slugger honors as well.
On the National League side, Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong also won the MVP unanimously. This marks the third occurrence in four years where both league MVPs were unanimous, following 2023 (Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr.) and 2024 (Ohtani and Aaron Judge).
Prior to 2023, no instance of unanimous MVP winners had been recorded in the history of the BBWAA MVP awards, which date back to 1931.
Alvarez remained in the race for the Triple Crown—which entails leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBIs—until well into the season. A lackluster August, during which Alvarez managed only two home runs, effectively dashed his hopes for this prestigious milestone.
This underwhelming performance in August allowed Caminero to regain traction in the MVP race. Despite his impressive efforts, Caminero’s .276/.360/.524 slash line ultimately fell short. While Alvarez excelled offensively, Caminero needed to compensate for his defense, but the third baseman struggled defensively, impacting his WAR negatively.
Defense was a significant factor that led Witt to finish as the third finalist in the voting. Although Witt’s offensive statistics were modest compared to Alvarez and Caminero—hitting .281/.359/.441 over 143 games—he was recognized as the top defensive player in the American League at one of the most challenging positions.
While all three candidates were highly qualified for the award, it certainly aided Alvarez that New York Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge, who claimed the AL MVP title in three of the last four seasons, spent a majority of the season sidelined due to injuries, participating in only 66 games in 2026.
Judge’s absence played a role, but it was Alvarez’s incredible performance that led him to win his first MVP award. Although Judge is expected to return and challenge for the title once again next season, Alvarez’s breakout season may establish him as a regular competitor for the MVP title, as long as he maintains good health. He demonstrated in 2026 that he is among the elite pure hitters in the sport.
