Yordan Álvarez, Finalist for American League MVP Award

November 7, 2022

Cuban Yordan Álvarez is one of three candidates to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the American League that Major League Baseball (MLB) presents annually.

Accompanying the Cuban in the group of finalists are New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, and Los Angeles Angels pitcher and hitter Shohei Ohtani.

In the National League, the finalists for the MVP award are St. Louis Cardinals infielders Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, as well as San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado.

Álvarez, fresh winner of the 2022 World Series with the Houston Astros, completed a dream regular season. The slugger hit 37 home runs, drove in 97 runs, and batted .306, ranking among the leaders in most offensive categories.

Although the MVP award does not take into account what happens in the postseason, Yordan was also vital for his team's triumph, hitting decisive home runs in three games, including the final matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The favorite for Most Valuable Player is, without a doubt, Aaron Judge, who set the American League home run record with 62, in addition to batting .311 and driving in 131 runs.

Yordan Álvarez's nomination among the three finalists shows the rapid rise of the Cuban contingent in the Majors. The last Cuban to be nominated among the finalists was Chicago White Sox first baseman José Dariel Abreu, winner of the MVP in 2020.

The Most Valuable Player award will be announced by MLB on November 17.