Yordan Alvarez’s 2026 season ended with the biggest individual honor in the American League, and it came with a clean sweep. The Astros designated hitter was named the unanimous AL MVP by the BBWAA on Thursday night after putting together a year that nearly turned into a Triple Crown chase.
At 29, Alvarez answered a lost 2025 season in emphatic fashion. After an injury-marred year in which he appeared in only 48 games, he stayed off the IL this time and played in 158 games. The production followed: a .316/.432/.601 line, 34 doubles, a triple, 42 home runs, 106 RBI, 105 runs and 6.8 WAR.
He came up just short of the Triple Crown, finishing one homer and seven RBI shy, but his overall offensive profile still stood alone. Alvarez led the majors in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
He won the average race by five points, the OBP race by 42 points - while also leading the majors in walks - and the slugging race by 31 points. Put those together and his OPS edge was a massive 90 points, with Alvarez at 1.033 and the next-best mark at .943, belonging to National League MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong.
That kind of across-the-board dominance puts Alvarez in rare company. He became just the sixth player in MLB history to lead the majors in all three triple slash categories, joining Aaron Judge in 2025, Miguel Cabrera in 2013, Barry Bonds in 2002, Larry Walker in 1999 and George Brett in 1980.
The award also gives the Astros another entry in a short but elite club. Alvarez is now the third Houston player to win MVP, following Jeff Bagwell in 1994 and Jose Altuve in 2017.
Junior Caminero finished second in the voting. The Rays third baseman, just 22 years old, played all 162 games and helped lead Tampa Bay to the best record in the American League.
He hit .276/.360/.524 with 42 home runs, 101 RBI and 100 runs, good for 5.7 WAR. The finish made history for the Rays, who had never before had a player place in the top five of MVP voting.
Bobby Witt Jr. landed third for the Royals. It was his fourth straight season finishing in the top seven and his third in a row inside the top four, after placing second in 2024. This year, the Kansas City shortstop hit .281/.359/.441 with 33 doubles, 18 home runs, 54 RBI, 94 runs, 45 steals and 6.7 WAR.
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Rays Face A Tough Rotation Decision If Nick Martinez Returns
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Shane McClanahan and Ryan Pepiot sit at the center of that decision. McClanahan is in the final year of team control after coming back from injury, while Pepiot is still under control through 2028 despite missing the 2026 season. If Martinez is going to return, Tampa Bay may have to move one of them to make the numbers and the roster fit, a reminder that even when the Rays like a pitcher, the math can still get complicated. [Read more 🡒]