Crow-Armstrong and Alvarez Claim Unanimous MVP Honors

Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Houston Astros designated hitter and outfielder Yordan Alvarez were announced as unanimous Most Valuable Player winners Thursday night. Their selections made 2026 the first season in which every voter agreed on the winners of both leagues' MVP and Cy Young awards.

Crow-Armstrong, 24, received all 30 first-place votes in the National League race. Four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani finished second, followed by Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang. In the American League, Alvarez, 29, claimed his first MVP award ahead of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler finished fourth in the AL MVP voting after being unanimously selected as the league's Cy Young winner Wednesday. Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski also received unanimous support for the NL Cy Young, completing the historic agreement across the four awards.

Crow-Armstrong contributed at the plate, on the bases and defensively during his fourth season. He batted .280, hit 45 home runs and stole 41 bases while earning a Gold Glove. His 10.6 fWAR led both leagues. He became the 13th player in Cubs history to receive the MVP award and the franchise's first winner since Kris Bryant in 2016.

His season gained momentum after a change in his place in the batting order. Crow-Armstrong initially hit near the bottom, frequently occupying the ninth spot, before moving to leadoff by mid-May. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said the offense was struggling and needed a spark. Crow-Armstrong responded with a prolonged surge, batting .300 with a .398 on-base percentage from the top spot. His walk total climbed from 29 the previous season to 83 in 2026.

Alvarez came close to capturing the AL triple crown, leading the league with a .316 batting average and ranking second with 42 home runs and 106 RBIs. He also led Major League Baseball with 109 walks. His .432 on-base percentage was 46 points above the next-best mark.

The award followed a return to regular action for Alvarez, whose 2025 season was limited to 48 games by a fractured wrist and sprained ankle. He played in 158 games this season as Houston secured a playoff berth. On Wednesday, he was named the AL Comeback Player of the Year.

Alvarez became the 31st player to win both an MVP award and a Rookie of the Year honor, having earned the latter in 2019. He previously received MVP votes in each season from 2022 through 2024, including a third-place finish in 2022. He joins Jeff Bagwell, who won in 1994, and Jose Altuve, the 2017 winner, as the only Astros to capture an MVP award.