Pete Crow-Armstrong’s breakout season just got another layer of hardware.
The Chicago Cubs All-Star was named the MLB Players Association’s 2026 Player of the Year and National League Outstanding Player, beating out Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani in both categories as the MLBPA revealed its Players Choice Awards winners for the regular season.
Crow-Armstrong’s case was built on a monster all-around year. He put together a 40-40 campaign, finishing with 45 home runs and 41 stolen bases while hitting .280/.372/.570. He also added 31 doubles, eight triples, 107 RBI and 119 runs scored, and his elite work in center field helped him post an MLB-best 10.6 WAR.
He’s also the favorite to win the NL MVP Award, which would snap Ohtani’s run at the top since 2023. The finalists for the 2026 Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards will be announced on Monday, Nov. 2.
Across the rest of the awards, Yordan Álvarez took home both AL Outstanding Player and AL Comeback Player honors after a huge season for the Houston Astros. He led the American League in batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.432), slugging percentage (.601), on-base plus slugging (1.033) and walks (109), while also piling up 34 doubles, 42 home runs and 106 RBI in 158 games.
On the pitching side, Jacob Misiorowski was named NL Outstanding Pitcher after leading the Majors with a 1.80 ERA, 2.17 FIP, 0.80 WHIP and 252 strikeouts over 174.2 innings in 30 starts. He also earned the win for the Milwaukee Brewers in their World Series-clinching victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.
The AL Outstanding Pitcher award went to Cam Schlittler, who put together a dominant season for the New York Yankees. He finished 14-6 with an AL-best 1.95 ERA, 2.56, 0.92 WHIP and 11.1 strikeouts per nine across 193.2 innings in 33 starts.
Among the rookies, Sal Stewart was honored as NL Outstanding Rookie after playing in all 162 games for the Cincinnati Reds. He hit .263/.330/.457 with 25 doubles, 32 home runs, 111 RBI and 15 stolen bases.
Kevin McGonigle won AL Outstanding Rookie after making an immediate impact for the Detroit Tigers. He batted .278/.376/.430 with 28 doubles, five triples, 18 home runs, 72 RBI, 95 walks and 97 runs scored in 156 games, and his defense on the left side of the infield helped him lead the AL with 7.1 WAR.
Zack Wheeler picked up NL Comeback Player after rebounding from a blood clot near his right shoulder and reestablishing himself as the Philadelphia Phillies’ ace. He went 14-5 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 10.7 strikeouts per nine in 162 innings across 28 starts.
The Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award went to Chris Bassitt, most recently of the Baltimore Orioles. The honor is presented to the player “whose leadership most inspires others to higher levels of achievement.” It comes with a $25,000 grant to the charity or cause of the winner’s choice and is named for the MLBPA’s first full-time executive director, who served from 1966-82.
Yankees legend and broadcaster David Cone won the Curt Flood Award, given to the person “who in the image of Flood demonstrated a selfless, longtime devotion to the Players Association and advancement of Players’ rights.”
Jake Burger of the Texas Rangers was named Philanthropist of the Year for the award that goes to the player who “best demonstrates an altruistic spirit and positive social impact beyond the diamond.” He’ll receive a $25,000 grant for the charity or cause of his choice, while runners-up Matt Boyd and Christian Yelich each receive $5,000 grants for their chosen nonprofit.
In Other News...
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Dodgers Already Face One Huge 2027 Question After Losing The Crown
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For the Dodgers, the question is less about whether they belong in the title picture and more about how quickly they can turn that status back into a trophy. Betting odds are only a snapshot of public confidence, not a prediction, but they do reinforce how thin the margin is for a team that is judged almost entirely by October results. The next step is obvious enough, even if the path back to the top is not. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers' Playoff Exit Looks Even Worse After Brewers' Dominant Finish
The sting of October has only deepened for the Dodgers now that the Brewers have turned their postseason run into a championship parade. Milwaukee rolled through the bracket with the kind of authority that makes every earlier round look even more decisive in hindsight, and the Dodgers were one of the clubs left in its wake when the Brewers swept them in the NL Championship Series.
The Brewers finished the job by beating the Tampa Bay Rays in five games to capture the first World Series title in franchise history, with William Contreras taking home World Series MVP honors. For the Dodgers, it is a familiar and frustrating reminder that their exit was not just a shortfall, but the last stop before a team that barely blinked on its way to the title. [Read more 🡒]