Yordan Álvarez, Randy Arozarena, Yandy Díaz, and Miguel Vargas were included this Monday among the finalists for the Hank Aaron Award 2026, the award given by Major League Baseball to the best offensive batter of the regular season in each league. The four players, all born in Cuba, hold four of the 10 available spots in the American League, marking an unprecedented presence of Cuban baseball in this recognition.
Álvarez, with the Houston Astros, concluded the season as the most dominant hitter in the American League: he led the league with a batting average of .316 and an OPS of 1.033, in addition to hitting 42 home runs and driving in 106 runs in 158 games.
Vargas had the most impressive individual season of the four with the Chicago White Sox. The third baseman recorded .250/.363/.474, 33 home runs, 93 RBIs, 106 runs scored, 22 stolen bases, and 101 walks, becoming the fourth player at his position in MLB history to achieve 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 20 steals, and 100 walks in a single season.
The historic season of Miguel Vargas also made him the first player in the history of the White Sox to combine 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 100 runs scored in a single season.
Arozarena, with the Seattle Mariners, contributed a .281 batting average, 26 home runs, 79 RBIs, 26 stolen bases, and an OPS of .865 in 154 games, maintaining the profile of power and speed that has characterized him since his emergence in the majors.
Díaz completed the Cuban quartet from the Tampa Bay Rays with a .293 batting average, 22 home runs, 85 runs batted in, and a .805 OPS in 614 at-bats, providing consistent offensive performance throughout the entire season.
Among the other finalists for the American League is Shohei Ohtani, a three-time consecutive winner of the award from 2023 to 2025, who is vying for a fourth title. The panel of voters who will determine the winner includes legends such as Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, Albert Pujols, Ken Griffey Jr., and Pedro Martínez, among other former award recipients.
Fans can also participate in the election through MLB's online voting, which is open from this Monday until October 12 at 11:59 a.m. ET.
The only Cuban born on the island who has won the Hank Aaron Award to date is José Abreu, who received it in 2020 with the White Sox in the American League. If any of this year's four Cuban finalists succeeds, they would become only the second compatriot to etch their name in the history of this award, which will celebrate its 27th edition in 2026.
The winners will be announced on November 11 at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, during the ceremony of the MLB Awards broadcast live on MLB Network.
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