Alvarez, Crow-Armstrong Win Unanimous MVP Awards: Full Results
Yordan Alvarez and Pete Crow-Armstrong won the 2026 MVP awards unanimously, capping a first: both MVPs and both Cy Young winners swept the vote.
Image: Wikimedia Commons / Erik Drost
NEW YORK — Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs were named the American League and National League Most Valuable Players on Thursday, each by a unanimous vote of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, Major League Baseball announced.
Each collected all 30 first-place votes and the maximum 420 points, capping a historic awards week: for the first time, both MVP winners and both Cy Young winners were unanimous in one season, after Cam Schlittler of the Yankees and Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers won the Cy Young Awards unanimously on Wednesday.
Key Takeaways
- Alvarez won the American League award after batting .316 with 42 home runs and 106 RBIs, just short of the Triple Crown.
- Crow-Armstrong won the National League award with 45 home runs and 41 stolen bases — the seventh 40-40 season in history.
- Shohei Ohtani finished second in the National League vote, ending a run of three straight MVP awards.
- Both are first-time MVPs; Crow-Armstrong is the first Cub to win since 2016.
How Alvarez Won the AL MVP: .316, 42 Homers, Near Triple Crown
Alvarez challenged for the Triple Crown: his 42 home runs and 106 RBIs ranked second in the American League, while his .316 average won the batting title. He also led the league in total bases (341), walks (109) and extra-base hits (77), with a .432 on-base percentage, .601 slugging percentage and 1.033 OPS.
He joined Aaron Judge (2025) and Miguel Cabrera (2012) as the only players since 1970 to win an American League batting title with at least 40 home runs, and became the fourth Cuban-born MVP.
“I just wanted a chance,” Alvarez said, recalling his path to the major leagues. “I wanted a chance to play professional baseball years ago. Winning the MVP, winning the World Series, none of this was in my mind. So to be here now … look at me now.”
Crow-Armstrong's 40-40 Season: Seventh Player in MLB History
Crow-Armstrong, 24, played all 162 games and led the major leagues with 119 runs scored. He shared the major-league lead with 45 home runs, drove in 107 runs and stole 41 bases to become the seventh player in history with a 40-40 season. He is the ninth Cub to win the award, and the first since Kris Bryant in 2016, exactly 10 years later.
His August surge — 14 home runs, 29 runs and 28 RBIs — carried Chicago toward the post-season, and FanGraphs credited his defence with saving the Cubs 26 to 32 runs.
| Player | Team | Average | Home runs | RBIs | Stolen bases | Runs | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yordan Alvarez | Houston Astros | .316 | 42 | 106 | — | — | 1.033 |
| Pete Crow-Armstrong | Chicago Cubs | .280 | 45 | 107 | 41 | 119 | .943 |
Full 2026 MLB MVP Voting Results: Second and Third Place
In the National League, Ohtani finished second with 26 of the 30 second-place votes and 264 points, and Brice Turang of the World Series champion Brewers finished third. In the American League, Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero finished second with 27 of the 30 second-place votes, Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. third, and Schlittler fourth.
Ohtani's defeat ended a three-year run at the top: National League MVP in 2024 and 2025, American League MVP in 2023. Despite knee and biceps injuries, he hit 30 home runs in 139 games and went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts across 14 starts.
The awards capped a week of historic individual performances in American sport: Detroit guard Cade Cunningham became the first NBA player with 50 points, 10 assists and no turnovers in a game, and college football confirmed its playoff expands to 24 teams from 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 MLB MVP awards?
Houston's Yordan Alvarez won the American League award and Chicago's Pete Crow-Armstrong won the National League award, both unanimously with all 30 first-place votes.
How many players have had a 40-40 season in MLB history?
Seven. Crow-Armstrong became the seventh player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season, finishing with 45 homers and 41 steals for the Cubs.
Who finished second in the 2026 MVP voting?
Shohei Ohtani finished second in the National League with 264 points, ending his run of three straight MVP awards. Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays finished second in the American League.
Both return when spring training opens in February, with the 2027 season to follow in late March.
