Yordan Álvarez named AL MVP finalist after sweeping two Players Choice awards

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November 5, 2026

Yordan Álvarez is one step away from the biggest individual award of his career. Major League Baseball announced on Monday, November 2 that the Houston Astros' Cuban slugger is one of three finalists for American League Most Valuable Player, along with Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero and Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. The winner will be revealed on November 12.

The nod came shortly after the MLB Players Association handed him two of its Players Choice Awards, which are voted on by the players themselves: AL Outstanding Player and AL Comeback Player of the Year. The comeback honor reflects his turnaround from an injury-hit 2025, when he played just 48 games, to 158 games in 2026.

His numbers make a strong case. Álvarez won the batting title at .316 and led the majors in on-base percentage (.432), slugging (.601) and OPS (1.033). He also hit 42 home runs, drove in 106 runs and drew a career-high 109 walks.

A win would cap a season in which the Las Tunas native also made the All-Star team, even though the Astros were knocked out in the Wild Card round.

Fuente: MLB.com, MLBPA, Houston Press, El Nuevo Herald

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Yordan Álvarez is a Cuban baseball player born on June 27, 1997, in Las Tunas, Cuba. He primarily plays as a left fielder and designated hitter. After beginning his career in Cuba with the Leñadores de Las Tunas, he left the island in search of an opportunity in Major League Baseball and later signed to play professionally in the United States.