On a November night in the baseball calendar, two players were lifted above a long season's worth of rivals and handed the year's most prized individual honor by every voter. Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs took the National League award and ended the three-year reign of Shohei Ohtani, a player who had set a standard few could match. In the American League, Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros finally claimed a recognition his long excellence had earned, also without a single dissent. Their unanimous votes, the article suggests, mark a rare moment when a sport agreed about what it had
Pete Crow-Armstrong Unseats Ohtani as Unanimous NL MVP; Yordan Alvarez Takes AL Honor
Nobody seriously challenged Crow-Armstrong or Alvarez.
Mark
Ohtani had won three straight. Why does PCA beating him unanimously stand out?
Mimi
Because Ohtani's case is so unusual. He hit 55 homers in 2025 and also pitched. To get every first-place vote against that, you need something close to a complete season.
Mark
What made PCA's year complete?
Mimi
Power, speed, and defense together. 45 homers, 41 steals, and 23 runs above average in center field per FanGraphs, plus a walk rate that jumped from 4.5 to 11.4 percent.
Luke
Worth saying the 10.6 wins and the 23 defensive runs are metric-based. FanGraphs is cited for the defense, but the article doesn't say which model produced the 10.6 figure.
Mark
And Alvarez? He had no defensive value at all.
Mimi
He didn't need it. A 181 wRC+ and a 1.033 OPS, best in baseball, and 33 intentional walks, more than double anyone else.
Luke
The claim that Houston wouldn't have made the playoffs without him is the author's reading of a 60-run contribution. It's an inference, not a reported fact.
Mark
The piece says he may have been unlucky too.
Mimi
His expected wOBA of .442 was above his actual .429, and expected slugging was .636. That points to lost hits.
Luke
Expected stats are estimates, though. They suggest what might have been, not what was.
Mark
And the closing line about 2027?
Luke
That's the writer's prediction, and the caveat about whether there's a season is left unexplained. The source gives no detail on it.
The Pulse
- Crow-Armstrong unseated Ohtani, a two-time reigning MVP, in a vote where every ballot went to him.
- A 10.6-win season with 45 home runs and 41 steals turned a once-promising prospect into the league's defining presence.
- His walk rate nearly tripled and his bat speed and exit velocity rose, showing a hitter who rebuilt his approach mid-career.
- Alvarez hit 42 home runs with a 1.033 OPS, yet the numbers suggest he was even better than his results showed.
- Both winners now stand as early favorites for 2027, though the piece hedges with a reminder that a future season is never guaranteed.
On a November night in the baseball calendar, two players were lifted above a long season's worth of rivals and handed the year's most prized individual honor by every voter. Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs took the National League award and ended the three-year reign of Shohei Ohtani, a player who had set a standard few could match. In the American League, Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros finally claimed a recognition his long excellence had earned, also without a single dissent. Their unanimous votes, the article suggests, mark a rare moment when a sport agreed about what it had seen.
On Thursday night, Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs was named the National League's Most Valuable Player, and every voter put him first. The unanimous result ended Shohei Ohtani's three-year hold on the award and capped a season in which the center fielder compiled a 10.6-win value.
Ohtani had set a formidable bar. In 2024 he became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, and in 2025 he added 55 home runs and a 2.87 ERA as a pitcher. Beating a player who was both a top hitter and a Cy Young-caliber arm required an unusual year.
Crow-Armstrong, known as PCA, arrived as a prized Mets prospect and showed promise with power and speed in 2025, but swing-and-miss tendencies and a low walk rate kept him from stardom. In 2026 he began slowly, then surged as the weather warmed. His walk rate nearly tripled, his bat speed and exit velocity climbed, and his hard-hit rate reached 48.6 percent. He finished with 45 home runs, 41 steals, and a .570 slugging percentage, and he was credited with 23 runs above the average center fielder on defense.
In the American League, Houston designated hitter Yordan Alvarez finally won the league's top honor, also unanimously. After an injury-plagued 2025, he struck out 120 times, drew 142 walks, and hit 42 home runs with a 1.033 OPS, far ahead of anyone in baseball. The article credits him with a 60-run contribution to Houston, which it says was key to the Astros reaching the postseason. By the expected stats he may have been even better than his results.
The article describes the consensus as rare, with no serious challenge to either winner. It expects both to lead the conversation for 2027, with one caveat attached: assuming there is a season.
On Thursday night, Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs was named the National League's Most Valuable Player, and every voter put him first. The unanimous vote ended Shohei Ohtani's three-year hold on the award and capped a season the Cubs center fielder finished with a 10.6-win value.
Ohtani set a high bar. In 2024 he became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season, and he won the MVP. In 2025 he hit 55 home runs, stole 20 bases, scored 146 runs, and also pitched to a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 47 innings. That year's MVP vote was unanimous too. Beating a player who is a top hitter and a Cy Young-caliber pitcher at once takes an unusual year.
Crow-Armstrong, known as PCA, arrived in Chicago as a top prospect from the Mets organization and had a solid 2024 as a part-time player. In 2025 he showed a rare mix of power and speed, with 31 home runs and 35 steals, but his tendency to swing and miss and his low walk rate held him back from stardom. In 2026 that changed. He began slowly, then took off as the weather warmed.
The underlying numbers moved with him. His walk rate rose from 4.5 percent in 2025 to 11.4 percent. His bat speed climbed from 72.7 mph to 75.1 mph. His average exit velocity rose by more than a full mile per hour, to 90.6, and his hard-hit rate reached 48.6 percent.
The results followed. He hit 45 home runs, stole 41 bases, and batted .280 with a .372 on-base percentage and a .570 slugging percentage. Offensively he was 57 percent better than league average. On defense, FanGraphs credited him with 23 runs more than the average center fielder, at one of the most important positions on the field. The article notes that he remains under cheap team control, a considerable advantage for the Cubs.
In the American League, Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, long regarded as one of the sport's best hitters, finally won his league's top honor, also unanimously. Over his career he has been 66 percent better than league average at the plate. In 2026, after an injury-plagued 2025, he posted a weighted runs created plus of 181, where 100 is average.
Alvarez struck out 120 times and drew 142 walks, including intentional ones. His 33 intentional walks led the majors by more than double. He hit 42 home runs with a .316/.432/.601 line, in a period of declining offense, and his 1.033 OPS was by far the best in baseball. The article credits him with a 60-run positive contribution to Houston, without which it says the Astros would not have reached the postseason.
By the numbers, he may even have been unlucky. His weighted on-base average was .429, but his expected figure was higher at .442, and his expected slugging of .636 suggests that good defense or ballpark quirks took away some extra-base hits. Both of his actual marks were the best in the league. He won despite adding nothing on defense.
The article describes the consensus as rare, saying nobody seriously challenged either winner. It expects both to be near the top of the 2027 MVP conversation, with one caveat attached: assuming there is a season.
Notable Quotes
Nobody seriously challenged Crow-Armstrong or Alvarez for the awards.— Fox News/OutKick analysis
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