2026 MLB MVP Race: Pete Crow-Armstrong and Yordan Alvarez Lead With One Week Left

The 2026 MLB MVP races have reached their decisive final week. Two first-time favorites have separated themselves from the field: Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong in the National League and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez in the American League.

Crow-Armstrong has turned an elite all-around season into a historic one, reaching 45 home runs while combining power, speed and premium defense at one of baseball’s most demanding positions. Alvarez remains the AL’s most dominant hitter, carrying a league-leading batting average and 40 home runs into the final stretch.

With roughly one week left in the regular season, the races are no longer about early projections. They are about whether the leaders have already built winning cases — and whether their closest challengers have enough time to change the result.

National League MVP race: Pete Crow-Armstrong finishes with history

Pete Crow-Armstrong is now the clear NL MVP favorite. The 24-year-old hit his 45th home run on September 20 in a 9-1 Cubs victory over Cincinnati, tying Kyle Schwarber for the major-league lead. He also doubled and stole a base in the game.

That performance gave Crow-Armstrong another piece of MLB history: he became the first center fielder to produce at least 40 home runs, 30 doubles and 30 stolen bases in the same season. He has 38 steals, leaving him two short of a 40-40 season with six Cubs games remaining.

The home-run total alone would place him near the top of the ballot. What makes his case unusually strong is the rest of his profile. Crow-Armstrong adds elite range and run prevention in center field, significant value on the bases and everyday production in the middle of a playoff contender’s lineup.

Chicago is 87-69 and one result away from securing a postseason berth. Team success is not a formal MVP requirement, but Crow-Armstrong’s production has been central to the Cubs’ position.

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s late-season résumé

Kyle Schwarber is the strongest NL challenger

Kyle Schwarber has kept pressure on Crow-Armstrong through his elite power production. The Phillies slugger also has 45 home runs, sharing the major-league lead, and remains the leading alternative for voters who place the greatest weight on offensive impact.

Schwarber’s candidacy is formidable, but Crow-Armstrong’s defensive and baserunning value creates separation. Schwarber would likely need a spectacular final week, combined with a Crow-Armstrong slowdown, to overturn the current order.

Shohei Ohtani’s injury changed the NL race

Shohei Ohtani appeared capable of challenging for another MVP while contributing as both a hitter and pitcher. His knee issue interrupted that path. Ohtani has not returned to game action on the mound and is still progressing through batting work as the Dodgers prepare for the postseason.

Ohtani’s two-way production remains extraordinary, but availability matters in a close award race. Crow-Armstrong has continued to add to his résumé while Ohtani has been unable to make the late-season pitching return that could have changed the comparison.

American League MVP race: Yordan Alvarez remains in front

The American League race still belongs to Yordan Alvarez.

Alvarez enters the final week with 40 home runs and a league-leading .312 batting average. He remains in the Triple Crown conversation and has paired his power with the best overall offensive production in the league.

His pace has cooled compared with the first five months of the season, and Houston’s 77-78 record adds an unusual wrinkle. The Astros are still only one game behind Texas in the AL West, but Alvarez could become an MVP on a team that misses the postseason.

That should not erase his advantage. The BBWAA award defines value broadly, and postseason qualification is not a condition. Alvarez’s combination of average, power, run production and on-base ability remains the strongest offensive case in the American League.

Yordan Alvarez’s late-season résumé

Junior Caminero and Bobby Witt Jr. lead the AL challengers

Junior Caminero has the best combination of power and team success among the main alternatives. The Rays own the American League’s best record at 95-60, and Caminero has been a central figure in their lineup. His breakout season provides a compelling narrative, but Alvarez still holds the stronger individual offensive résumé.

Bobby Witt Jr. offers the most complete all-around counterargument. His shortstop defense, speed and baserunning produce value that is not fully captured by traditional batting totals. Witt’s case becomes stronger in an evaluation built around total value, but the offensive gap between him and Alvarez remains substantial.

Both players belong near the top of the ballot. Neither has yet done enough to displace Alvarez as the favorite.

Current 2026 MLB MVP rankings

American League

1. Yordan Alvarez, Astros — the league’s most dominant hitter and current favorite
2. Junior Caminero, Rays — elite power for the AL’s best team
3. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals — the strongest defense, speed and all-around value case

National League

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs — historic power-speed season with elite center-field defense
2. Kyle Schwarber, Phillies — tied for the MLB home-run lead
3. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers — unmatched two-way ceiling, limited late by injury

The final-week outlook

The clearest conclusion on September 21 is that both leagues have established favorites.

Crow-Armstrong has strengthened his NL case at exactly the right time. Reaching 45 home runs and creating a new power-speed benchmark for center fielders makes his season difficult to match, even before accounting for his defense.

Alvarez’s September has been quieter, but the totality of his season still places him first in the AL. A batting title, 40-plus home runs and a possible Triple Crown would give him an overwhelming traditional résumé, regardless of whether Houston reaches October.

The final games can still affect the margins and the order behind them. Barring a dramatic reversal, however, the 2026 MLB MVP awards are headed toward two first-time winners: Pete Crow-Armstrong in the National League and Yordan Alvarez in the American League.