Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez was named the 2026 American League MVP on Thursday.
Andrew McCutchen announces Yordan Alvarez as the American League MVP on @MLBNetwork! https://t.co/6DdZFyOF7A
— MLB (@MLB) November 13, 2026
Alvarez received every first-place vote to beat out Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals.
"We've had such a long road, such a hard road. It's incredible," Alvarez said following the announcement, according to MLB Network PR. "We never imagined we'd get to this point, but it's just unbelievable."
Alvarez claimed the AL batting title with a .316 average and fell just short of becoming the first Triple Crown winner since 2012, finishing second in the Junior Circuit in homers (42) and RBIs (106).
The slugging DH is the first Astros player to win MVP since Jose Altuve in 2017. Prior to Altuve, Houston's previous MVP was Jeff Bagwell in 1994 when the Astros played in the National League.
It was a remarkable 2026 campaign for Alvarez, who only appeared in 48 games in the 2025 season due to injuries. He was named the AL Comeback Player of the Year on Wednesday.
Alvarez also received the Edgar Martinez Outstanding DH Award and the Hank Aaron Award recognizing his league's best offensive performer Wednesday. He was named to the All-MLB first team as well.
Caminero, who finished as runner-up in his second full season in the majors, praised Alvarez while predicting his own future MVP win.
"First, I want to congratulate Yordan on winning the MVP. He's an incredible player and deserves all the recognition," Caminero said, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
"Obviously I wanted to win, but I'm proud of what I accomplished this season and grateful to my teammates, coaches, and everyone who supported me. I'm still young, I have a lot more to prove, and this only motivates me to keep getting better. My time will come."
