Yordan Alvarez and Zack Wheeler spent 2025 dealing with injuries that cut their seasons short. By Wednesday night, both were back in the spotlight.
At the MLB Awards presented by MGM Rewards, the Astros slugger and Phillies right-hander were named the Comeback Players of the Year in their respective leagues.
Alvarez’s 2025 season was derailed in May by a left hand fracture, and the numbers reflected the lost time. He appeared in only 48 games and finished with a 118 wRC+. That was a sharp drop from the level he had shown from 2022-24, when he drew MVP votes every year and ranked second only to Aaron Judge among qualified hitters with a 167 wRC+ over that three-year stretch.
He answered in 2026 with the kind of season that put him right back among the game’s most dangerous bats. Alvarez set career highs in games played with 158 and home runs with 42.
He also posted personal bests across the board in his triple-slash line, hitting .316/.432/.601 while leading the Major Leagues in each category. His 181 wRC+ was best in baseball as well.
Maybe this is the year Alvarez gets his hands on that MVP Award - we’ll find out when the results are announced Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET on MLB Network.
Wheeler’s path back was different, but just as impressive. His 2025 season had been rolling along until late August, when he was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome and required surgery that would keep him out for 6-8 months. At the time, he had a 2.71 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP through 24 starts.
The surgery removed the first rib near his throwing shoulder, though Wheeler kept the rib. When he returned to a big league mound on April 25, he picked up right where he left off.
The 36-year-old finished with a 3.00 ERA and 193 strikeouts over 162 innings. Among qualified pitchers, he ranked eighth in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 22.6% and finished among the 10 most valuable pitchers, according to Statcast’s pitching run value metric.
The award carries a simple definition: it goes to one player in each league “who has re-emerged on the field during the season.” It debuted in 2005, and the winners are selected by a vote from MLB.com’s 30 club beat reporters.
For the Astros, Alvarez became the second player in franchise history to win it, joining Justin Verlander in 2022. Wheeler is the second Phillie to take home the honor, following Brad Lidge in 2008.
In Other News...
Yordan Alvarez Just Added Another Milestone To His Dominant Astros Run
Yordan Alvarez keeps stacking honors in a run that has already made him one of the most feared hitters in the game, and the latest recognition only adds to the sense that his 2026 season stood among the best in the league. The Astros slugger was among the players celebrated for elite offensive production, with his bat carrying the kind of impact that has become familiar in Houston.
Pete Crow-Armstrong also earned a share of the spotlight for the Cubs, but the focus in Houston is on what Alvarez continues to mean to the lineup and the standard he has set. For the Astros, the award is another reminder of how consistently he has delivered at the center of their offense, and how much his presence still shapes the conversation around the club's future. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Just Sent A Strong Message About Yordan Alvarez
The Astros are making it clear they have no interest in entertaining the idea of moving Yordan Alvarez, even with rival clubs surely circling a player of his caliber. General manager Randy Flores pointed to Alvarezs standing as one of the games premier hitters and noted that he still has two years left on his contract, a combination that gives Houston both control and confidence as the slugger continues to anchor the middle of the lineup.
Flores also didnt leave much room for interpretation when asked about trade inquiries, treating the subject more like a joke than a serious possibility. That kind of response says plenty about how Houston views Alvarez, especially with the star outfielder also sitting among the leading candidates for American League MVP honors and reinforcing why the Astros would rather build around him than even entertain offers. [Read more 🡒]
Yordan Alvarez Just Moved One Step Closer To A Bigger Astros Prize
Yordan Alvarez added another line to an already strong season in Las Vegas, where he was named to the All-MLB First Team at designated hitter during the MLB Awards. The honor fits the kind of year he put together for Houston, one that included an American League batting title with a .316 average and a run through the leagues offensive leaderboards.
The bigger prize is still hanging out there, though, and Alvarez is very much in the mix for it. He is one of three finalists for the American League Most Valuable Player Award, and the winner will be announced Thursday, leaving the Astros with one more major decision to watch after a season built around his production. [Read more 🡒]