The Cuban Yordan Álvarez, designated hitter and left fielder for the Houston Astros, won two of the most prestigious awards in professional baseball: the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) named him Outstanding Player and American League Comeback Player of the Year (AL) at the Players Choice Awards 2026.
What makes these awards special is who gives them: not journalists or executives, but the active MLB players themselves, who cast their votes in the clubhouses every September under the oversight of KPMG.
In the category of Outstanding Player, the 29-year-old from Tunera surpassed Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay) and Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City). For Comeback of the Year, he outperformed Gerrit Cole (Yankees) and Mike Trout (Angels), as reported by KPRC Click2Houston.
The numbers that supported that double election are hard to argue: an average of .316, 42 home runs, 106 runs batted in, 105 scored, 109 walks, and an OPS of 1,033 in 158 games.
Álvarez was crowned batting champion of the American League and all of MLB, becoming the third player from the Astros to achieve this, following Yuli Gurriel (2021) and José Altuve (2014, 2016-17). He also led the AL in OPS, slugging (.601), on-base percentage (.432), total bases (341), intentional walks (33), wRC+ (181), and extra-base hits (77).
He was also the third baseball player since 1970 to win the AL batting title with 40 or more home runs, a list that only includes Aaron Judge (2025) and Miguel Cabrera (2012-13).
The context of the comeback makes the recognition even more significant. In 2025, injuries limited him to just 48 games: first a fracture in his right hand and then a severe sprain of his left ankle. He finished that season with six home runs and 27 RBIs.
His return in 2026 was overwhelming from the very first month, and for much of the summer, he simultaneously led the AL in average, home runs, and RBIs as a candidate for the Triple Crown.
With the return of the MLBPA Year, Álvarez becomes the second Astro to win that award, following Justin Verlander in 2022. With the Most Outstanding Player award, he is the third in the club's history to achieve this, after Jeff Bagwell (1994) and Altuve (2016-17).
The MLB Player of the Year award went to Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), who also won the National League Most Outstanding Player award after completing a season with 45 home runs and 41 stolen bases.
In the historical context of Cuba, Álvarez is the fourth player born on the island to win a batting title in MLB, a milestone that places him alongside Tony Oliva, Yuli Gurriel, and Yandy Díaz. This year, at least 29 Cubans played games in the Major Leagues, a record number, and seven were selected for the All-Star Game.
Last week, Álvarez had already received the Comeback of the Year award from Sporting News, also voted on by players from both leagues, making this Thursday his second honor of the week.
The next milestone is the official MVP of the American League, awarded by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), which will be announced on November 12. Álvarez comes in as the clear favorite, although the award has not yet been granted.
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