Yordan Álvarez unanimously named 2026 AL MVP after comeback season

Houston Astros slugger Yordan Álvarez was named the 2026 American League Most Valuable Player on Thursday, a unanimous choice by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America that capped a sweep of major honors and completed his comeback from an injury-shortened 2025 season.

Álvarez received all 30 first-place votes and the maximum 420 points in the BBWAA tabulation. Under MLB’s published scoring system, MVP ballots award 14 points for a first-place vote, then 9 through 1 for places two through 10. Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays finished second with 267 points, and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals was third with 188.

The award followed one of the best offensive seasons in the majors. Álvarez won the AL batting title while hitting .316 with a .432 on-base percentage, a .601 slugging percentage and a 1.033 OPS. He also hit 42 home runs and drove in 106 runs, with MLB noting that both totals were career highs. MLB’s MVP coverage also credited him with 341 total bases among his league-leading marks.

The MVP honor was the final piece of a decorated awards week for Álvarez. Before Thursday’s announcement, he had already won the AL Hank Aaron Award, which recognizes offensive excellence; the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award; AL Comeback Player of the Year; and a spot on the All-MLB First Team. The unanimous MVP vote made his case not just a strong one, but a consensus one.

That sweep carried extra weight because of what came before it. Álvarez appeared in only 48 games in 2025, when, according to MLB’s Comeback Player release, he missed about 100 games after suffering a right-hand fracture on May 2 and later a season-ending left ankle sprain. He returned in 2026 to play a career-high 158 games, turning a lost year into the most complete season of his career.

Álvarez is now just the third Astros player to win an MVP award, joining Jeff Bagwell and José Altuve. MLB also noted that he became the third player since 1970 to win the AL batting title while hitting at least 40 home runs, joining Aaron Judge and Miguel Cabrera.

Bagwell, the Hall of Fame first baseman and 1994 NL MVP, praised both the season and the way Álvarez handled it.

“He’s such a humble kid. … For him to get the unanimous MVP, it’s a special year. … Yordan did it better than everybody.”