Yordan Álvarez, designated hitter for the Houston Astros and a native of Las Tunas, Cuba, unanimously won the 2026 American League MVP, receiving all 30 available first-place votes and a total of 420 points, as announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) on Thursday on MLB Network.
With this award, the player from Tunero becomes the fourth baseball player born in Cuba to win the regular season MVP in Major League history, joining the ranks of Zoilo Versalles (1965), José Canseco (1988), and José Abreu (2020), all three of whom also played in the American League.
The 2026 season for Álvarez was simply dominant. The 29-year-old player participated in 158 games—a personal record—and led Major League Baseball in all three offensive categories: batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.432), and slugging (.601), with an OPS of 1.033. He hit 42 home runs and drove in 106 runs, falling just one home run and seven RBIs short of winning the Triple Crown, a feat that hasn't happened in the MLB since 2012.
Only five other players in Major League history have led the three categories of the offensive line in the same season: Aaron Judge (2025), Miguel Cabrera (2013), Barry Bonds (2002), Larry Walker (1999), and George Brett (1980).
The triumph has an extraordinary dimension of overcoming challenges. In 2025, Álvarez was only able to play 48 matches due to a fracture in his right hand and a severe sprain in his left ankle, which cut his season short.
His return in 2026 was so impressive that in the same week he received the MVP, he also received the AL Comeback Player of the Year award, the Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, and the Hank Aaron Award from the American League.
"This season was very different, simply because I was healthy," Álvarez stated after learning the result. "It seems that everyone else had the feeling I was going to win, except for me. When I heard my name, that’s when the excitement came out. The feeling is incredible."
Álvarez is also only the second designated hitter to win the MVP of the American League, following Shohei Ohtani, who accomplished this four times. "I hope this opens the door for more designated hitters to win the award," the player from Tunero noted.
With this recognition, Álvarez becomes the third player from the Astros to win the MVP, following Jeff Bagwell (National League, 1994) and José Altuve (American League, 2017).
In the voting, the Rays' third baseman Junior Caminero, 22 years old, came in second with 267 points — the best historical result for a Tampa Bay player in this election — while the Royals' shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. placed third with 188 points.
Caminero congratulated the winner generously: "First, I want to congratulate Yordan on winning the MVP. He is an incredible player and deserves all the recognition. I am young, I have much more to prove, and this only motivates me to keep improving. My moment will come."
Formed with the Leñadores de Las Tunas in the Cuban National Series, Álvarez left the island at the age of 15 and traveled through Haiti and the Dominican Republic before signing with the Dodgers in 2016. The Astros acquired him later that same year, and he made his MLB debut in June 2019, a season in which he won the American League Rookie of the Year. His accolades also include the MVP of the American League Championship Series (2021), the World Series (2022), and the Silver Slugger (2022).
Cuban baseball is experiencing a week of celebration: Randy Arozarena and Miguel Vargas are finalists for the Silver Slugger 2026, with winners to be announced next Monday, November 17.
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