Alvarez Wins Two MLBPA Awards After Dominant 2026 Season

Yordan Alvarez received two major honors from the Major League Baseball Players Association on Wednesday. The Houston Astros outfielder was named the American League Most Outstanding Player. He also won the American League Comeback Player of the Year award.

Alvarez beat out Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals for the Most Outstanding Player title. The Comeback Player award recognized his return to full health after a 2025 campaign in which injuries limited him to 48 games.

The awards follow a 2026 season in which Alvarez led the sport in multiple offensive metrics. He batted .316, scoring 105 runs and driving in 106. His 42 home runs tied him for second in the American League. He also recorded 34 doubles and one triple.

Alvarez led the league in walks with 109. That total included 33 intentional walks, the most in baseball. His 1.033 on-base plus slugging percentage made him the only qualified hitter to exceed a 1.000 mark in 158 games.

The outfielder led the American League in on-base percentage at .432 and slugging percentage at .601. He also topped the league in total bases with 341. His weighted runs created plus rating stood at 181. His on-base plus slugging plus rating was 190. He led the league in extra-base hits with 77.

Alvarez secured the American League and Major League batting titles. He became the third player in Astros history to win a batting title. Yuli Gurriel won the honor in 2021. Alvarez missed only four games in 2026, marking the first fully healthy season of his major league career.

The Astros finished the regular season with an 81-81 record. They played two games in the postseason and lost both. A potential work stoppage is scheduled for December 1, which may impact offseason activities for the club.

The MLBPA Players Choice awards have existed since 1992. Previous Astros winners include Jeff Bagwell and Jose Altuve, who won the AL Outstanding Player award. Alvarez also won the Outstanding Rookie award in 2019. Justin Verlander won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2022.

Alvarez is expected to win the American League Most Valuable Player award. The honor will be announced after the postseason concludes. Jeremy Pena is a nominee for a Silver Slugger award. Cam Smith and Christian Walker are nominated for AL Gold Glove awards at right field and first base, respectively.