Chicago Cubs centre fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong earned the National League Most Valuable Player Award and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Álvarez captured the American League MVP Award, the league announced on Thursday. The awards are voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Crow-Armstrong put all five tools on display for the Cubs on the way to winning the NL’s top individual prize. The 24-year-old became the seventh player in MLB history to post a 40-40 season, ending the year tied for the most homers in the Majors with 45 and second in the NL with 41 stolen bases. He also led MLB with a 9.8 WAR (10.6 fWAR) season, far outpacing the league on either list. Crow-Armstrong slugged .570 with a .942 OPS and scored 119 runs, all top marks in the NL. The Sherman Oaks, California native was just as good with the glove as he was with the bat in 2026. Defensively, his +26 fielding run value set a Statcast-era record for an outfielder, according to MLB.com. For his efforts, Crow-Armstrong earned his second Gold Glove and was named the NL’s Platinum Gold Glove winner, the award given to the best overall defender in the league. With PCA in centre field, the Cubs earned the second Wild Card spot in the NL. They were eliminated from the postseason in a two-game sweep by the San Diego Padres. Two-time NL MVP Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers were the other finalists for the award. -- Álvarez flirted with a triple crown season, slugging his way to the American League MVP Award. The 29-year-old won the batting title in the AL with a .316 average, while also leading the junior circuit in slugging (.601), OPS (1.033), walks (109) and offensive WAR (7.2). He finished tied for second in homers with 42 and second in RBIs with 106, Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso led the AL in both categories. The combination of average and power at that level is rare as Álvarez joined Aaron Judge and Miguel Cabrera as the only batting champions since 1970 to also hit at least 40 home runs. Álvarez adds his MVP nod to the honours he’s already received for his stellar 2026 season. The Las Tunas, Cuba native was named AL Comeback Player of the Year, Outstanding Designated Hitter and joined Crow-Armstrong as recipients of the Hank Aaron Award. Álvarez helped power the Houston Astros to the AL West title, where they were eliminated from the playoffs by the Chicago White Sox in the Wild Card round. Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero were the other finalists for the award.
