Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong and Houston’s Yordan Alvarez were each voted the most valuable player in their respective leagues for the 2026 season, marking the third year in a row that the MVP awards were unanimous selections in both the National and American Leagues.
Crow-Armstrong’s Historic NL Campaign
The 24‑year‑old Cubs outfielder posted career‑best numbers, batting .280 with 45 home runs, 107 RBIs and 41 stolen bases over a full 162‑game schedule. He tied Kyle Schwarber for the major‑league lead in homers and topped the NL in runs (119), slugging percentage (.570) and OPS (.942). Defensively, Crow-Armstrong earned his second Gold Glove, leading the majors with 26 Outs Above Average and 23 Runs Prevented, according to Baseball Savant.
“I still don’t feel satisfied with what I put out, with the product that I put on the field this year,” Crow‑Armstrong said. “I know there’s more. I’ve decided there’s more. That’s how I got here.” He received all 30 first‑place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, with Shohei Ohtani finishing second after injuries limited his season.
Alvarez’s Dominant AL Performance
Houston’s designated hitter Yordan Alvarez secured the American League MVP after leading the majors in batting average, walks (109), on‑base percentage (.432) and slugging percentage (.601). He also finished tied for second in AL home runs and led the league with 119 RBIs, trailing only Pete Alonso’s 43 homers and 113 RBIs.
“Everybody knows what happened last year,” Alvarez said through an interpreter. “I was anxious to get back to this season and now we see where that ended up here with an MVP award.” Alvarez, 29, became the first AL MVP from Houston since José Altuve in 2017. He also added a second‑place finish for Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays and third place for Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Career Highlights and Future Outlook
Alvarez, a four‑time All‑Star, broke into the majors in 2019, posting a .313 average with 27 homers and 78 RBIs in just 87 games, earning AL Rookie of the Year honors. He was the ALCS MVP in 2021 and helped the Astros win the 2022 World Series. Over eight seasons, he has compiled a .300 career average with 212 homers and 599 RBIs.
Crow‑Armstrong, who signed a six‑year, $115 million contract in March, is the first Cubs NL MVP since Kris Bryant in 2016. Drafted by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2020 amateur draft, he was traded to Chicago in the Javier Báez deal in July 2021. His breakout 2025 season helped the Cubs reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020, posting a .247 average with 31 homers, 95 RBIs and 35 steals in 157 games.
Both players emphasized humility and a continued drive for improvement despite their historic seasons. “Success in my eyes is being called a winner, and I’m not necessarily there yet,” Crow‑Armstrong added.
Original reporting: Capitol City Now (WTAX 1240 Springfield) — read the source article.
