Baseball: Cubs' Crow-Armstrong wins NL MVP, ending Ohtani's award streak

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez claimed the AL MVP award unanimously on Thursday night, following his impressive season where he chased the Triple Crown. The 29-year-old slugger smashed a career-high .316 batting average, 42 home runs, and 106 RBIs for the AL West champions. His offensive contributions were exceptional, leading the league in batting average, on-base percentage (.432), and slugging percentage (.601).

In comparison, Pete Alonso of Baltimore finished second in homers (43) and RBIs (113), while Alvarez overcame his limited defensive skills to earn the prestigious honor. This marked the first time an AL MVP came from Houston since Jose Altuve in 2017, earning all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Third baseman Junior Caminero from Tampa Bay came in second with 27 second-place votes. Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. rounded out the top three. The NL MVP selections will also be announced on Thursday night, with Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, and Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang among the finalists.

Alvarez burst onto the scene with Houston in 2019, earning Rookie of the Year honors with .313 batting, 27 homers, and 78 RBIs in just 87 games. Since then, he has been a consistent performer, serving as the ALCS MVP in 2021, helping Houston win the 2022 World Series, and maintaining a .300 career average with 212 homers and 599 RBIs in eight big league seasons.