24-Year-Old Pete Crow-Armstrong Sweeps Unanimous NL MVP Vote
The Chicago Cubs center fielder earned all 30 first-place ballots, while Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros took the AL honor after a dominant offensive season.
By Samuel Hayes ·
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Yordan Alvarez swept their respective league MVP awards on Thursday, both claiming the titles with unanimous votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. This marks the third time in history that both leagues have awarded the honor unanimously in the same year, following the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Crow-Armstrong, 24, led the National League in runs, slugging percentage, and OPS. He also tied Kyle Schwarber for the major league lead in home runs. The Chicago Cubs center fielder set career highs with 45 home runs, 107 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases over a full 162-game schedule.
His defensive performance remained elite throughout the season. According to Baseball Savant, Crow-Armstrong led the majors with 26 Outs Above Average and 23 Runs Prevented. He won his second Gold Glove award, solidifying his status as a two-way player for the Cubs.
The 2026 season capped a rapid rise for the Southern California native. He was drafted by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2020 amateur draft before being traded to Chicago in July 2021 as part of the Javier Báez deal. In March of this year, he signed a six-year contract worth $115 million.
Crow-Armstrong noted that he improved specifically against left-handed pitching this season. He hit .280 against southpaws in 2026, a sharp increase from his .188 average in 2025. He acknowledged that he has spent the last five years proving he is more than a defensive specialist.
"It's funny that everybody seems to be talking about the offense," Crow-Armstrong said. "That wasn't always the case. I feel like I've spent the last five years of professional baseball trying to prove to people that I was more than a glove-first player."
Despite the accolades, Crow-Armstrong pointed out that the Cubs were eliminated in the postseason during both of the previous two years. He expressed a desire to reach a higher level of success, stating that he is not yet satisfied with his performance despite the MVP recognition.
In the American League, Yordan Alvarez claimed the award after leading the majors in batting average, walks, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. The Houston Astros designated hitter finished with a .601 slugging average and 109 walks. He trailed only Pete Alonso of the Baltimore Orioles in home runs and RBIs, finishing second in both categories.
Alvarez returned to full strength in 2026 after missing much of 2025 due to injuries. The 29-year-old played in just 48 games last year. This season, he became the first AL MVP from Houston since Jose Altuve in 2017. He credited his return to health for the outcome, saying he was anxious to get back to the field after the previous year's struggles.
Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays finished second in the AL voting, marking the highest finish in franchise history. Caminero batted .276 with 42 home runs and 101 RBIs. Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals placed third in the AL balloting. Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers finished second in the NL vote behind Crow-Armstrong, despite a season hampered by injuries.
