Pete Alonso didn’t just win Baltimore’s Most Valuable Oriole Award this year - he took it without a fight.
The Orioles announced Wednesday that Alonso was the unanimous choice for the 2026 honor, a reflection of how thoroughly he separated himself from the rest of the roster in his first season in Baltimore. The award is voted on by local print and broadcast media members who cover the team regularly, and while some years turn into a tight race, this one never did.
Ballots could include up to three players, with points awarded in a 5-3-1 system for first, second and third place. Alonso finished far ahead of the field. The other Orioles to draw votes were Blaze Alexander, Samuel Basallo, Shane Baz, Kyle Bradish, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Rico Garcia, Gunnar Henderson, Coby Mayo, Trevor Rogers and Brandon Young.
For Alonso, the recognition adds to a stack of accomplishments already piling up. He was the club’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award and also received the Heart & Hustle Award. Now he’s the Orioles’ Most Valuable Oriole, and the first unanimous winner since Cedric Mullins in 2021.
The numbers tell the story plainly. Entering Wednesday, Alonso led Baltimore in hits with 156, runs with 94, home runs with 40, RBIs with 108, batting average at .265, slugging percentage at .510 and OPS at .869. He was also the only Orioles player to start all 157 games.
Power has been the calling card. Alonso now has 304 career home runs, has topped 37 homers in six of his eight MLB seasons and has reached 40 four times. He became the ninth player in Orioles history since 1954 to hit 40 in a season, and it was the 10th such occurrence overall.
His 108 RBIs also lead the American League. Alonso is on pace to become the first player in AL/NL history to lead the league in RBIs in both leagues, after he posted a National League-best 131 RBIs for the Mets in 2022.
Still, Alonso has made it clear the production is not the point.
“I just want to leave it all out there,” Alonso recently said. “I really love playing the game, and for me, I just want to be all I can be and do whatever I can every single night to win the game, you know? I really take pride in wanting to win and giving it all I have.”
Baltimore entered Wednesday at 76-81 and close to elimination from postseason contention, but Alonso’s future in the organization stretches much further. He has four years left on the five-year, $155 million deal he signed last December, and he’s already become more than the slugger the Orioles expected.
He’s hit, he’s defended first base well and he’s taken on a leadership role in the clubhouse. Bench coach Donnie Ecker said Alonso has had exactly the kind of impact teams hope for when they commit to a long-term star.
“My belief on any long-term contract is, if you’re going to do anything over three years -- especially when you get into the five-year, 10-year range -- that person has to have behaviors that impact the environment. You want that guy to have a compound effect where he gets people better,” bench coach Donnie Ecker said. “Pete’s up there with the best I’ve seen, just in terms of caring for the people around him and really not ever settling for average.”
In Other News...
Orioles Doubleheader Featured A Baseball First Few Fans Ever Expected
A quirky bit of baseball history unfolded at Camden Yards during the Blue Jays-Orioles doubleheader, when identical twins Austin and Tyler Jones became the first twins to work the same umpiring crew in a Major League Baseball game. The siblings have shared crews before in the minors, but this was their first time doing it on the sports biggest stage, a rare pairing that gave an ordinary April doubleheader a little extra texture.
Their families were there to see it, which made the moment feel even more personal in a setting usually defined by routine calls and fast pacing. For the Jones brothers, it was clearly more than a scheduling oddity, and for everyone in the park, it was the kind of baseball-first detail that tends to stick with you long after the final out. [Read more 🡒]
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Just Gave Orioles Fans More To Say About Toronto
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has made himself a familiar talking point in Baltimore over the years, and his latest comments only give Orioles fans more reason to keep one eye on Toronto. Speaking about his down season, Guerrero said his contract was built on what he had already done, not on a promise about what was still ahead, a reminder of how much weight follows a player with that kind of profile and expectation.
Guerrero did express regret about how this year unfolded, but he stood by the original remark and framed the whole situation as part of the pressure that comes with a major deal. He also said he is continuing to work hard to get better for next season, leaving the Blue Jays star with one more layer of scrutiny as Baltimore keeps tracking every turn in the division race. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Sent A Clear Message Despite One Worry Looming
The Orioles final home game of the season still drew a reminder of how quickly the mood around Camden Yards can shift. A rainout the day before left the stands thinner than usual for the doubleheader opener, but the second game brought back the kind of energy Baltimore fans have shown all year, with the crowd sounding more like a team still in the hunt than one wrapping up the calendar.
Pete Alonso also had the larger picture on his mind, even as the Orioles finished out their home schedule. With the leagues labor deal set to expire in December, there is already some worry about what comes next, though Alonso said he hopes negotiations are resolved without any games being lost, pointing back to the 2022 lockout as a warning sign. Craig Albernaz, meanwhile, noticed the support from the stands and had reason to appreciate it, even with the uncertainty hanging over the sport. [Read more 🡒]