# Final MVP poll: Alvarez and Crow-Armstrong run away > With one week left in the season, two players have clear paths to hardware. - Title: Final MVP poll: Alvarez and Crow-Armstrong run away · Mlb - Summary: With one week left in the season, two players have clear paths to hardware. Yordan Alvarez leads the AL MVP race despite recent struggles, while Pete… - Keywords: yordan alvarez, pete crow-armstrong, mlb mvp, 2026 season, american league, national league, houston astros, chicago cubs, junior caminero, shohei ohtani, bobby witt jr, cam schlittler - Source: Mlb — https://mlb.com/news/yordan-alvarez-pete-crow-armstrong-lead-final-2026-mvp-poll - Read time: 3 min - Topics: yordan alvarez, pete crow-armstrong, mlb mvp, 2026 season, american league, national league, houston astros, chicago cubs, junior caminero, shohei ohtani, bobby witt jr, cam schlittler ## Alvarez leads AL despite recent slump The Astros slugger has 181 points and 29 first-place votes, but he's hitting just .264 with an .840 OPS over his last 41 games. His 179 wRC+ still leads all qualified hitters by 27 points. > Alvarez has been so good this year that what qualifies as a slump for him would be a good stretch for most other hitters. ## Caminero's improved discipline stands out The Rays slugger is second with 149 points. He's on pace for his second straight 40-homer season while raising his walk rate from 6.3% to 11.5%, ranking in the 80th percentile of MLB. > That blend of patience, power and bat control is a special combination, especially in a 23-year-old player. ## Witt's all-around game keeps him in contention The Royals star is third with 62 points. His 119 wRC+ is modest, but his plus-16 fielding runs, 22 outs above average, and 6.6 WAR make him a top-five MVP candidate for the third straight year. > So while he hasn't been as undeniable in the batter's box as he was in 2024, Witt's all-around greatness has him atop the AL FanGraphs WAR leaderboard. ## Schlittler's pitching dominance earns MVP buzz The Yankees pitcher is fourth with 60 points. He leads the AL in ERA (1.94), WHIP (0.91), and pitching WAR (6.1), and he's allowed one or zero runs in 21 starts, a Yankees franchise record. > He seems like a lock for the AL Cy Young Award at this point, but Schlittler will receive his fair share of MVP love. ## Ben Rice steps up for injury-plagued Yankees The Yankees catcher is fifth with 40 points. He ranks third in the AL in homers (39) and runs (100), and could become the second non-Judge Yankee in a decade to hit 41 homers with two more this week. ## Crow-Armstrong runs away with NL MVP The Cubs center fielder has 190 points and all 38 first-place votes. He's tied for the MLB home run lead (45), leads in runs (118) and extra-base hits (83), and could join the 40-40 club this week. > It's no longer a question of whether Crow-Armstrong is the NL MVP. The award is as good as his right now. ## Ohtani remains runner-up despite injuries The Dodgers star is second with 135 points despite playing just three games this month. He has a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings, and could return from the injured list this week. > there's a good chance Ohtani will be activated from the 15-day injured list Wednesday after a minimum stint. ## Misiorowski dominates NL pitching race The Brewers pitcher is tied for third with 61 points. He leads the majors in ERA (1.86), WHIP (0.80), and strikeout-minus-walk rate (31.7%), with opponents posting a .474 OPS against him. > Misiorowski is an even bigger shoo-in in the senior circuit. ## De La Cruz surges into MVP conversation The Reds shortstop is tied for third with 61 points after receiving zero votes last month. He's batting .404 with eight homers over his last 27 games and is two homers and two steals from the 30-30 club. > De La Cruz, who didn't receive a single vote in our previous MVP poll, has been red-hot for Cincinnati over the past month. ## Schwarber's consistency earns fifth place The Phillies outfielder is fifth with 32 points. He's on pace for 40 homers and 150 games for the fourth time in five years, and has surpassed 100 walks for the fourth consecutive season. > He will end up with more than 40 homers and 150 games played in four of the past five seasons. ## Poll methodology: 38 experts, 5-4-3-2-1 scale MLB.com's final MVP poll surveyed 38 experts who ranked their top five picks in each league. Votes were weighted 5 points for first place, 4 for second, and so on. Thirty-two players received at least one vote. ## Key takeaway Yordan Alvarez leads the AL MVP race despite recent struggles, while Pete Crow-Armstrong has run away with the NL after jumping ahead of Shohei Ohtani last month.