Yordan Alvarez wins AL MVP in first for full-time designated hitters
The Houston Astros hitter led MLB in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS in 2026.
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez won the 2026 AL MVP award, making him the first player to earn the honor while serving as a full-time designated hitter. The 29-year-old received 29 first-place votes, finishing ahead of fellow finalists Junior Caminero and Bobby Witt Jr.
Alvarez topped MLB with a .316 batting average and .432 on-base percentage. His .601 slugging percentage and 1.033 OPS also led the majors, as did his 109 walks. He finished second in the American League in both home runs, with 42, and RBI, with 106.
Those results earned Alvarez the AL batting title, but his second-place finishes in home runs and RBI left him short of the Triple Crown. This is his first MVP award.
Alvarez becomes Houston's third MVP winner, following Jeff Bagwell in 1994 and José Altuve in 2017. He is also the fourth Cuban-born MVP recipient, joining Zoilo Versalles (1965), José Canseco (1988) and José Abreu (2020).
