Category: Sports News

LAS VEGAS — They dined, rolled the dice, pulled the slots, and did a whole lot of talking before departing Thursday from the Major League Baseball General Manager meetings at the Aria Resort & Casino.

GMs and executives said they talked to every single team and dozens of agents, but the only major move was Atlanta signing veteran free-agent reliever Evan Phillips to a three-year, $35 million contract.

While the Milwaukee Brewers have become the gold standard, as Erik Neander, Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations said on his way out of town, the World Series championship serves as a subtle reminder that minor moves, or even gambling by trading away proven veterans for prospects, can pay massive dividends.

Executives have no idea whether there will be a salary cap, a modified economic system or the status quo, but they know they need to be ready to act, and can’t afford to just sit back and wait.

There will be a flurry of signings beginning Thanksgiving weekend right up until 11:59 p.m. Dec. 1, and potential trades waiting for those who miss out on their desired free agents.

“In terms of evaluating players, talking to agents and individual players,’’ A.J. Preller, Padres president of baseball operations said, “we’ve been doing what we do every offseason. It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen, or what the exact system is going to be, but if we see something that makes sense, wer’e going to be prepared to act on it.’’

Here’s what we’re hearing as the executives traveled home dreaming of Tarik Skubal anchoring their rotation for what could be an awfully long winter:

MLB rumors from GM Meetings

– The New York Mets are downplaying their chances of signing Skubal to everyone who’ll listen, but their rivals believe that they could be the Los Angeles Dodgers' stiffest competition for his services. The Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays joining the Mets with scheduled meetings with Skubal before Thanksgiving.

– Skubal and agent Scott Boras is making it clear to teams they have no interest in a short-term deal, and yes, you better come in with an offer exceeding $325 million if you want a seat at the high-stakes table.

– The Toronto Blue Jays, who signed Dylan Cease to a six-year, $210 million contract last winter, are poised to be in the running for Skubal, and if they don’t land him, will pivot to the likes of Michael King, Trevor Rogers and Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle. And yes, if Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer want to return, they’ll talk to them too.

“If you saw Scherzer’s last game," Boras said, “you’ll understand he’s far from Max’d out."

– The Milwaukee Brewers are telling teams that All-Star catcher William Contreras is staying put, and that they’d love to sign him to a contract extension. They are listening to offers, however, for closer Trevor Megill.

– The San Francisco Giants will not trade ace Logan Webb, no matter how many teams continue to ask for the ace. The Giants want to add starters, but subtract, and are interested in seeking at least two free-agent starters, but that the Skubal’s price-tag is too high for their liking.

– Alex Anthopoulos, Atlanta president of baseball operations, made it loud and clear that Ronald Acuña Jr. is staying put, saying there have been zero conversations about trading him, and there will be none.

– The Phillies may not be interested in bringing him back, but infielder Alec Bohm has become a big attraction with the Yankees and Mets, meeting with each team in Las Vegas. Bohm hit .248 with 15 homers and 88 RBIs, and had a terrific second half hitting .298 with 41 RBIs.

– The Padres, with the new ownership of Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano declaring they're "all in" are interested in virtually every single starting pitcher in hopes of remaking their rotation.

“I think the biggest thing with Kwanza and Jose is they got a taste of it," Preller said of last season, “seeing a team go back to the playoffs, playing a super competitive series in the Division Series. They have an appetite to put a really good team on the field, understanding that it takes resources and it takes people to do that.’’

– Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato is the position player everyone wants, and he’s the top position player choice for the Phillies, Yankees, Mets and Padres. He likely will wind up playing the outfield, scouts insist.

– Rival teams say they would be stunned if the Boston Red Sox don’t trade Jarren Duran this winter after hitting a career-low .207 with a .266 on-base percentage and .361 slugging percentage. If they move Duran, it could put them in line for free-agent outfielder Randy Arozarena.

“He’s a model of consistency and he’s done it in a market where right-handed hitters go to die," Boras said of Arozarena. “He’s 20-20 every year, multiple All-Star teams… This rose has no thorns, and all the teams, frankly, they’re feeling really Randy."

– The Chicago Cubs, who have five free-agent starters, would love to bring back Clay Holmes and David Peterson.

– The Phillies informed several agents they don’t believe prized infield prospect Aidan Miller will be ready to be an everyday player at the outset of next season, and will need more time in the minor leagues.

– The Minnesota Twins told agents that they plan to spend money this winter, and that includes bringing back free-agent catcher Ryan Jeffers, who plans to reject their $23.15 million qualifying offer.

“We have made it clear that we’d love to have him back,’’ GM Jeremy Zoll said.

– The Tampa Bay Rays plan to keep ace Drew Rasmussen, who’s one year away from free agency, but could trade Shane McClanahan or Ryan Pepiot to fit in the return of free agent starter Nick Martinez.

– Free agent left fielder Ian Happ, the four-time Gold Glove winner with the Chicago Cubs, is drawing serious interest from the Seattle Mariners, who badly want to improve their defense.

“The left side of our infield, the left side of our outfield," Jerry Dipoto, Mariners president of baseball operations said, “are both areas of need. ... A priority for us is to get better offensively, but the max priority is to button up our defense.’’

– Teams have inquired about veteran infielder Ernie Clement from the Blue Jays and Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, while free-agent shortstop J.P. Crawford is drawing interest with the Mariners having no interest in bringing him back.

– Teams may be reticent trading for a player with only one year remaining on the contract considering that the pending lockout could shorten the 2027 season, but then again, if you win a World Series title, it still counts the same.

“I’m not saying it’s not in the back of people’s minds,’’ Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, “but I think everybody feels at some point you’re going to have a season. So even if you have a shortened season, if you got a guy that helps you win a championship, you’re happy with it.’’

– The Padres are considering returning Fernando Tatis Jr. to the infield if they land a free-agent outfielder, moving him to second base. While he has been a Gold Glove outfielder, he had a .769 OPS playing in right field last season but a .974 OPS at second base.

– While the Seattle Mariners are expected to trade one of their starting pitchers for position player help, such as George Kirby or Emerson Hancock, Dipoto declared at the GM meetings that prized pitching prospect Ryan Sloan is off limits.

– Veteran reliever Jonathan Loaisiga was left having to sign a minor-league contract last spring with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but after his stellar season, yielding a 2.42 ERA in 67 innings, he now may receive a multi-year big-league deal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What I'm hearing on Tarik Skubal and the biggest MLB rumors at GM Meetings

Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs have been named the A.L. and N.L. Most Valuable Players, respectively. Each was a unanimous winner.

Finishing in second place in the American League was Junior Caminero of the Rays, who got 27 second place votes and three third place votes. Bobby Witt, Jr., narrowly edged out Cam Schlittler for third place, while Pete Alonso finished in fifth place.

Ezequiel Duran of the Texas Rangers appeared on two ballots — Sam Blum had him in 10th place on his ballot, and Evan Grant put him 9th.

As far as the more idiosyncratic votes go, Dillon Dingler of the Tigers appeared on two ballots, but one of those, by Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, had him fifth. Judge was one of two voters who omitted Schlittler altogether. Munetaka Murakami appeared on one ballot, and was sixth on that ballot. That ballot, by Paul Hoynes, was the other ballot that didn’t include Schlittler.

The complete A.L. results can be found here.

On the National League side, Shohei Ohtani finished in second place, getting 26 second place votes, two third place votes and two fourth place votes. Brice Turant, Elly de la Cruz and Jacob Misiorowski rounded out the top five.

Kyle Schwarber finished 11th, appearing on just 10 ballots, but did get a second place vote, from Ricke Cerrone of Baseball Digest. He also was the lone voter to have the Braves’ Ozzie Albies on his ballot — he put Albies sixth, Alec Burleson 9th, and Brandon Lowe 10th. Andy Pages and Jordan Walker each appeared on one ballot apiece, and on each they got a 6th place vote. Sal Stewart got one seventh place vote. Matt Olson got exactly one vote in every spot on the ballot except first and second, where he didn’t get any votes, and 9th, where he got three votes.

The full National League results can be found here.

On Thursday evening, the BBWAA announced the two MVP’s. It comes as no surprise that Yordan Álvarez took home the American League crown while Pete Crow-Armstrong took it home for the National League. Both awards were unanimous.

That said, Gabriel Moreno — fresh off his All-MLB First Team selection yesterday and Gold Glove win a few weeks ago — finished sixth in the NL race. He received three third place votes, beating out Fernando Tatís of the San Diego Padres and finishing just behind NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers. He was the only Diamondback to earn votes.

Here are the full results:

Here are the full NL MVP voting results: pic.twitter.com/Y1APtA8JvB

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 13, 2026

Across a career-high 130 games in 2026, Moreno slashed .311/.388/.488 with 33 doubles, one triple and 16 home runs. He also plated 83 runs and scored 72 times. He struck out 14.6% of the time and walked 11.1% — all good for a wRC+ of 141 and 6.7 rWAR. He also won the batting title with that .311 average, and is awaiting the results of the Silver Slugger race.

The Diamondbacks have never had an MVP in their 28-year history, but have gotten close a number of times:

• Geraldo Perdomo — fourth in 2025
• Ketel Marte — fourth in 2019; third in 2024
• Corbin Carroll — fifth in 2023 (also won Rookie of the Year)
• Paul Goldschmidt — second in 2013; second in 2015; sixth in 2017
• Luis Gonzalez — third in 2001
• Matt Williams — third in 1999

This marks the fourth-straight season that the Diamondbacks have had a Top 6 MVP finisher.

---

For the first time since 2022, Shohei Ohtani did not win an MVP award. But the Dodgers superstar designated hitter and starting pitcher did finish second in voting for the 2026 National League Most Valuable Player, finishing behind Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Crow-Armstrong won the award unanimously, receiving all 30 first-place votes. Ohtani got 26 second-place votes, two third-place votes, and three fourth-place votes.

Ohtani is the first player in major league history to finish in the top three in MVP voting in six years in a row, along with his wins in 2021 and 2023 with the Angels then in 2024and 2025 with the Dodgers, and a second-place finish in 2022. Hall of Famer Ted Williams finished in the top three in American League MVP voting in six consecutive seasons in which he played, finishing second in 1941 and 1942 followed by an MVP wins in 1946 and 1949, sandwiching a second-place finish in 1947 and third place in 1948, interrupted only by three years of military service in the Marines during World War II.

Ohtani is the only player to finish in the top two in MVP voting for six straight years.

Through he was hampered by injuries to his left knee and right biceps that kept him from pitching after July 3 and helped fuel a 155-plate-appearance homerless skid after August 18, Ohtani still managed to hit .275/.377/.512 with a 139 wRC+, and 30 home runs, along with a 1.79 ERA and 2.73 xERA in 14 starts and 85 2/3 innings. Though his total 6.5 bWAR was his lowest total in the last six years, it still tied for the 72nd-best seasonin Dodgers history.

Coupled with his two MVP wins in 2024 and 2025, Ohtani is the third Dodger with three top-three MVP finishes. Catcher Roy Campanella won three MVPs, in 1951, 1953, and 1955 with Brooklyn, and pitcher Sandy Koufax won NL MVP in 1963 for Los Angeles, then finished second in both 1965and 1966.

Nine Dodgers have finished in the top three of NL MVP voting in multiple years.

Player	Win(s)	2nd place	3rd place
Roy Campanella	1951, 1953, 1955
Shohei Ohtani	2024, 2025	2026
Sandy Koufax	1963	1965, 1966
Duke Snider		1955	1953
Steve Garvey	1974	1978
Maury Wills	1962		1965
Mike Piazza		1996, 1997
Mookie Betts		2020, 2023
Pedro Guerrero			1982, 1985

The only other Dodgers player to receive an NL MVP vote was center fielder Andy Pages, who got a single sixth-place vote (from Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle) for five total points, trying for 18th place.

For the first time in four years, Shohei Ohtani will not add an MVP trophy to his collection, and for the first time in six years, neither Ohtani nor Aaron Judge is an MVP. Instead, the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez both became first-time MVPs, as both players were unanimously elected.

Crow-Armstrong, 24, was easily the best player in baseball by several stats, finishing with 10.6 fWAR and 9.8 bWAR as he hit .280/.372/.570 with a major-league-best 45 homers and 119 runs scored, plus 107 RBIs, 31 doubles, eight triples, and 41 steals.

His 45 homers and 41 steals made him the seventh player in MLB history to have a 40-40 season, and only the third to hit 45 homers, swipe 40 bags, and collect 30 doubles in one year, joining Ohtani (2024) and Alfonso Soriano (2006).

Defensively, he also earned his second consecutive Gold Glove Award and won the NL’s Platinum Glove for the first time. He posted a +26 fielding run value, setting a Statcast-era record for an outfielder, and his +26 outs above average tied Byron Buxton (2017) for the most by an outfielder.

Crow-Armstrong received all 30 first-place votes for the award, while Ohtani received 26 second-place votes, two third-place votes, and two fourth-place votes to finish second overall. The Brewers’ Brice Turang came in third, receiving one third-place vote and plenty of votes for third, fourth, and fifth, while NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski finished fifth. Jake Bauers and Jackson Chourio also received down-ballot votes. To view the full NL balloting, click here.

Turang has only gotten better each season since debuting in 2023, making his World Baseball Classic debut back in the spring and setting career highs this year with 21 homers, 100 RBIs, a .366 OBP, and a .450 slugging percentage, adding 19 steals and his second Gold Glove Award at second base. He also turned things on down the stretch, leading the majors in average (.361) and on-base percentage (.475) in the month of September before leading the World Series-winning Crew with 11 walks across 13 playoff games.

Turang becomes the first Brewers infielder to finish in the top three in MVP voting since Prince Fielder finished third back in 2011, the same year Ryan Braun won the award. He’s also the first Brewers middle infielder to finish top three since Robin Yount won the AL MVP in 1982.

Alvarez himself had a fantastic year to take home the AL honors, winning the AL batting title by hitting .316 and leading the league in on-base percentage (.432), slugging (.601), OPS (1.033), total bases (341), walks (109), intentional walks (33), extra-base hits (77), and offensive bWAR (7.2). He also finished second in RBIs (106) and tied for second with 42 homers, both of which set career highs.

While he didn’t quite win the Triple Crown, he did become just the fourth player this century to lead the majors in batting average, OBP, and slugging, joining Aaron Judge (2025), Miguel Cabrera (2013), and Barry Bonds (2002).

Alvarez received all 30 first-place votes, while Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero came in second, receiving 27 second-place votes and three third-place votes. Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. finished third, receiving scattered votes to edge the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler, 188 points to 181. Witt will have to wait at least one more year for that elusive AL MVP, as he’s now finished in the top four in each of the last three seasons despite being just 26 years old. To view the full AL balloting, click here.

When the Dodgers and Cubs met at the beginning of August, it was notable that Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was even challenging Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani for National League most valuable player.

Ohtani was on a streak of three straight MVP seasons and working to return to the mound after what was expected to be a temporary shutdown around the All-Star break. So even as Ohtani and Crow-Armstrong traded leadoff home runs, it felt like a peak in a race that could tilt in Ohtani’s favor in the final months of the season.

Tilt it did — the other way.

Read more:Dodgers will be involved in Tarik Skubal's free agency, but will they sign him?

Ohtani never did return to the mound, and his offense suffered as injuries mounted down the stretch. Crow-Armstrong never cooled off and ran away with the MVP, officially claiming the award Thursday in a unanimous vote. He was the 11th unanimous NL MVP in the history of the award. Ohtani finished second.

Ohtani’s two-way skillset is so unique that any time he pitches and hits for an entire season, he’s practically guaranteed the MVP — he won the award twice with the Angels in 2021 and 2023 before winning two with the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025. But the Dodgers’ first attempt at guiding him though a full two-way season crashed and burned in the wake of a lingering left knee injury and recurring right biceps issue.

The Dodgers are set on having Ohtani return to two-way duties in 2027. But now they’re left to diagnose what went wrong this year and figure out how to avoid the same pitfalls moving forward.

“The good thing is, it’s going to be a normal offseason,” general manager Brandon Gomes said, referring to Ohtani’s health status. “And as we get deeper into the offseason, understanding what our roster looks like, and then having those conversations of, ‘How do we best lay this out to set everybody up to be as good as they can come October?’

“And that’s always the goal. I know it’s so boring and we pound it into the ground. But I think for Sho in particular, it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s get back to feeling 100%, have the normal offseason, like you’re going to have, and then have that conversation based on what our team looks like and rotation and all of that.”

The Dodgers have made clear that plotting Ohtani’s pitching plan will be a collaborative effort that will involve conversations throughout the year. But they have plenty of options for how they could manage his workload.

They could pull him from the batting order on days he pitches, and/or build in more full recovery days after his starts on the mound. They add more days in between his pitching starts. They could have him lighten his pitching load midseason and then ramp up again for the postseason. They could delay his return to the mound.

“I think Shohei’s open to putting the team in the best position to win,” Gomes said. “And I think that is the number one thing that he’s shown over and over again, is that he cares deeply about the Dodgers winning and puts that at the forefront. So I think that’s why these conversations are really important.”

The Dodgers are missing one major piece of information that will affect their path forward: the length of the 2027 season.

Read more:Dodgers' Brandon Gomes shares updates on Tarik Skubal, Shoki Oda, Josue De Paula and more

Privately, baseball agents and executives’ estimates span a wide range of possibilities, from a sub-100-game season, to a late start but no games lost. It will remain ambiguous well into the lockout, which owners are expected to impose when the current collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1.

So, pitchers across MLB will have the unenviable task of planning their offseason buildup without the clarity of an opening-day target.

In that kind of environment, it could be in Ohtani’s best interest to put off a pitching ramp-up at least until the lockout ends and the season schedule is set. But he and the Dodgers have a little over two weeks to talk through those decisions. Once the lockout begins, teams will be restricted from communicating with the players on their 40-man rosters.

Said Gomes: “I feel strongly that Sho will have himself prepared in the way that he feels is best to go out and dominate next year.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability). 

Will Wagner

The son of Hall-of-Famer Billy Wagner, Will Wagner was drafted by the Houston Astros in 2021 as a passable infielder with solid offensive marks. He’s been solid throughout his minor-league career, with a .287/.390/.429 slash line. Wagner came to the Padres in an under-the-radar deal with the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2025 Trade Deadline. He’s produced modest results despite his lack of time at the big-league level.

Overall Grade: B-

Wagner started off the season on the injured list with an oblique strain that he suffered in early March. That caused him to play in just 86 games between the minors and majors. Sixteen of those came with the big-league club. Wagner joined the Padres in June, slashing .257/.422/.286 (35 at-bats).

The on-base percentage is the shocking number in that grouping. Wagner walked 10 times with nine hits in 45 plate appearances, resulting in him reaching base at a .422 clip. His stats in the minors followed a similar trend, with a .254/.368/.377 slash line in 70 minor-league games. Among all players with less than 260 at-bats in the Pacific Coast League, Wagner ranked fourth in walks (42).

The infielder is capable of playing first, second and third base, but has more capability at the keystone position. With Jake Cronenworth potentially departing via a trade this offseason, it’s possible that Wagner could fill out second base sooner rather than later. If not, Wagner will likely spend time on the big-league roster as bench depth for the Friars.

Just before spring training began last January, Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was part of a group of former Harvard-Westlake High players who returned to O’Malley Field to have their jersey numbers painted on the outfield wall. This was before PCA mania had erupted, before any MVP talk had surfaced, before anyone could have predicted the breakthrough season he would deliver in 2026.

Crow-Armstrong signed autographs for kids, met with varsity players and humbly talked about what he had learned from his high school days that abruptly ended in the spring of 2020 because of the pandemic.

Before the PCA mania, before the MVP season that will be finalized on Thursday, Pete Crow-Armstrong returned to Harvard-Westlake’s O’Malley field last January humble and ready to get to work. He deserves it. pic.twitter.com/oZkiA24mDM

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) November 11, 2026

“It’s been a nice, steady progression for the first five years of my career,” he said. “I’m definitely learning a good set of patience that I didn’t have before that. It’s a slow burning sport. It takes a lot of time to try and perfect your craft. I’m going out every day and making the most of it.”

On Thursday, Crow-Armstrong ended the two-year reign of Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani as National League MVP with the announcement that he had won MVP honors during a season in which he hit 45 home runs, stole 41 bases, had 107 RBIs and batted .280.

IT’S UNANIMOUS

Pete Crow-Armstrong is your 2026 National League Most Valuable Player! pic.twitter.com/WrD7cMLaXV

— MLB (@MLB) November 13, 2026

His coach at Harvard-Westlake, Jared Halpert, left Los Angeles on Wednesday night to fly to Chicago for the celebration.

“You combine the talent and commitment of what he has and you get what we just saw this year,” Halpert said. “It was remarkable.”

Crow-Armstrong, 24, is the first Southern California product to be named NL MVP since Christian Yelich (Westlake) received the honor for the Brewers in 2018, with Giancarlo Stanton (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame) winning in 2017 for the Marlins. Jordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros was selected the American League MVP.

Harvard-Westlake had become known as the school for pitchers after producing first-round draft picks Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito and Max Fried. Now come the hitters. Crow-Armstrong, a center fielder, was taken in the first round in 2020 by the New York Mets before being traded to the Cubs in 2021. Infielder Bryce Rainer is working his way up the Detroit Tigers organization after being a first-round pick in 2024.

Crow-Armstrong was always known for his speed, defensive prowess and hitting skills, but this year saw Crow-Armstrong unleash a power surge as the Cubs’ leadoff hitter that energized baseball fans in Chicago and elsewhere. His speed running the bases, leaping skills in the outfield, arm strength and patience at the plate after a slow start created the perfect storm to produce an MVP season.

“I’m always willing to do whatever it takes,” he said on the MLB Network. “My coaching staff was very patient with me through my struggles early in the season.”

Earlier this week, some of the Harvard-Westlake players who met Crow-Armstrong last January offered their opinions of his MVP season.

Ira Rootman, a center fielder committed to Texas, said, “I’ve gotten to interact with him multiple times. Seeing what he did, it means it’s possible for anyone. It’s a real inspiration. He talks a lot about the mental side. I think that’s something incredibly important.”

Louis Lappe, a sophomore infielder who gained national fame with his grand slam in the 2023 Little League World Series for El Segundo, said, “He’s very good inspiration for all the Harvard-Westake people. He showed we can all do it.”

Jake Kim, an outfielder committed to UCLA, said, “It shows that our program and the standard of how we do it and the standard to win and be great speaks volumes about our coaches and how we work around here.”

Being the son of two actors, Crow-Armstrong understood what being in the spotlight looked like and even though he angered Dodger fans with comments last spring in a magazine, he’s always been known as a competitor and shown respect and appreciation for those supporting the game of baseball.

He and his parents have moved out of Los Angeles to be closer to Chicago, but the former Sherman Oaks Little Leaguer won’t forget how the talent level growing up in sunny Southern California helped give him the opportunity to be a major leaguer and reach a level few ever attain.

Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

This was one of the most expected award results of the 2026 MLB season.

Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong put together not only an MVP-caliber season, but one of the greatest single seasons in Cubs franchise history.

To review the numbers: .280/.372/.570 (175-for-626) with 31 doubles, eight triples, 45 home runs and 41 stolen bases, becoming the first Cub to join the 40/40 club. He also walked 83 times, nearly tripling the 29 he had in 2026. He led the NL in SLG, OPS and OPS+ and led all of MLB in runs (119), home runs and total bases (357). He is just the fourth Cub position player ever to have a 9.8 bWAR season or better (also Ron Santo, 9.8 in 1967; Ernie Banks, 10.2 in 1959; Sammy Sosa, 10.3 in 2001; and Rogers Hornsby, 10.6 in 1929). Fangraphs had PCA at 10.6 fWAR.

For all of this and more, PCA was today named, unanimously, National League Most Valuable Player. He’s the first Cub to win the award since Kris Bryant in 2016. In addition to those two, here are the other Cubs who have been named NL MVP:

1911: Frank Schulte
1929: Rogers Hornsby
1930: Hack Wilson
1935: Gabby Hartnett
1945: Phil Cavarretta
1952: Hank Sauer
1958: Ernie Banks
1959: Ernie Banks
1984: Ryne Sandberg
1987: Andre Dawson
1998: Sammy Sosa

What’s most remarkable about PCA’s season is that he got off to a mediocre start. After going 0-for-3 against the Brewers May 20, he was batting .225/.302/.357 with five home runs in 50 games. Over his final 112 games, he batted .302/.400/.658 (134-for-444) with 26 doubles, six triples, 40 home runs, 87 RBI, 29 stolen bases, 93 runs scored and 68 walks. Those numbers alone might have won him MVP — and that’s only two-thirds of a season.

PCA doesn’t turn 25 until March. He’s hit 86 home runs, good for 35th on the Cubs career list. If he hits 40 in 2027, that would put him in the top 20. He has 105 stolen bases, which ranks 32nd. Another 40-steal year would move him up to 22nd. A healthy and productive PCA over the next few years would likely make him one of the greatest Cubs ever.

There are so many highlights to PCA’s season that it’s hard to pick just one that sums him up, but I’d like to nominate what he did in the 3-2, 10-inning win over the Blue Jays Aug. 6. After Alex Bregman tied that game up 2-2 with two out in the bottom of the ninth and no one scored in the 10th, PCA led off the 11th with a single, but placed runner Carson Kelly was thrown out at the plate. PCA took second on the throw and immediately took off for third. You know what happened next [VIDEO].

That, I think, sums up everything PCA is. He read the situation, didn’t hesitate, drew a wild throw and won the game.

There is, obviously, a lot more to his game than that — power and defense in particular. Here are 25 minutes worth of highlights from his MVP season.

Congratulations to Pete Crow-Armstrong. May this MVP award be the first of many. Here’s the BBWAA vote for NL MVP. Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman finished ninth.

Pete Crow-Armstrong didn't just earn National League Most Valuable Player honors in 2026. He also put together one of the greatest MVP seasons the league has seen in the past half-century.

PCA swept to NL MVP honors in unanimous fashion, earning all 30 first-place votes in balloting released Thursday, Nov. 12 by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The coronation seemed a formality, as "MVP!" chants grew louder in Wrigley Field and anywhere the Cubs took their five-tool center fielder on the road.

And by season's end, it was almost unfathomable what this 6-foot, 184-pound center fielder produced.

He led the major leagues with 45 home runs – and also topped every fielder at every position with 26 outs above average.

He led the NL with a .570 slugging percentage and .943 OPS - and also stole 41 bases in 48 attempts, becoming the seventh member of baseball's 40-40 club.

He led the majors with 119 runs scored as the leadoff man for an 89-win club, and his adjusted OPS was 56% higher than league average.

Add it all up, and Crow-Armstrong produced a major league-leading 9.8 WAR, as calculated by Baseball-Reference.

That's the most impactful NL MVP season, by that metric, since Barry Bonds accrued 10.6 WAR in 2004, the third time in four years he produced double-digits in that category. Before Bonds, Colorado's Larry Walker posted a 9.8 WAR, equal to PCA, in winning the 1997 MVP.

And to find a superior MVP season not moored in the high era of baseball's performance-enhancing drug scandal or played at altitude (though WAR partially bakes that in), we have to go back to Bonds in 1993 (9.9) and Joe Morgan way back in 1975, when he posted 11 WAR on the strength of a .466 OBP and 67 steals.

At 24 years old, PCA stands shoulder to shoulder with those greats.

Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar reduced to hitting only in the second half of the season, finished second to Crow-Armstrong, earning 26 of 30 second-place votes; it ended his streak of consecutive NL MVPs at two and his overall streak at three, as he was 2023 AL MVP with the Los Angeles Angels.

Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang finished third, while Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski rounded out the top five.

For Crow-Armstrong, it's been a meteoric rise, from 19th overall pick by the New York Mets, to his 2021 trade to the Cubs in exchange for Javier Báez, to his year-over-year gains in less sexy but crucial categories like contact and walk rate, all of which have coalesced to make him arguably the game's best all-around everyday player.

And now, National League MVP, perhaps the first of more to come as he becomes the ninth Chicago Cub to win an MVP award, first since Kris Bryant in 2016.

"I immediately think back to Ryno," Crow-Armstrong said of 1984 NL MVP Ryne Sandberg in an interview on MLB Network after the announcement. Sandberg passed away in July 2025. "He made himself available to a lot of us the last few years. He was hugely important to the last few years of my life. I just saw Andre Dawson the other day in New York. Sammy (Sosa) was a big part of this year. KB and I just talked today.

"I don’t know where to put myself in that. I’ve been so fortunate to be around so many great Cubs. I’m happy to carry on their legacy and be able to continue to have their names brought up in conversations like this."

NL MVP voting results

• Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs: 420 points (30 first-place votes)
• Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers: 264 points
• Brice Turang, Brewers: 190 points
• Elly De La Cruz, Reds: 173 points
• Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers: 158 points
• Gabriel Moreno, Diamondbacks: 132 points
• Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres: 121 points
• Cristopher Sánchez, Phillies: 68 points
• Alex Bregman, Cubs: 63 points
• Matt Olson, Braves: 40 points
• Kyle Schwarber, Phillies: 31 points
• Chris Sale, Braves: 22 points
• Otto Lopez, Marlins: 17 points
• CJ Abrams, Nationals: 12 points
• Bryce Harper, Phillies: 12 points
• James Wood, Nationals: 9 points
• Brandon Lowe, Pirates: 6 points
• Ozzie Albies, Braves: 5 points
• Michael Harris II, Braves: 5 points
• Andy Pages, Dodgers: 5 points
• Jordan Walker, Cardinals: 5 points
• Sal Stewart, Reds: 4 points
• Jake Bauers, Brewers: 2 points
• Alec Burleson, Cardinals: 2 points
• Jackson Chourio, Brewers: 2 points
• Ty France, Padres: 1 point
• Hunter Goodman, Rockies: 1 point

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pete Crow-Armstrong is one of the greatest NL MVPs in history. Here's why.

The Toronto Blue Jays have apologized for Anthony Santander's Islamophobic Instagram posts that criticized U.S. Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed.

On Thursday, Nov. 12, the club posted a statement attributed to President and CEO Mark Shapiro to their social media channels. Toronto said it had conversations with members of the city's Muslim community to reflect on the incident, which happened after national elections in the United States.

"The Blue Jays are deeply sorry to the Muslim community and our fans for the pain and harm these Islamophobic posts have caused," the statement said. "We will work with leaders in Muslim communities to fight against all forms of hate."

The statement continued by saying the incident was an "opportunity to listen and learn" that "reaffirms our beliefs and values as an organization."

"We condemn Islamophobia and all forms of hate."

Two days earlier, at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins expressed concern over the right fielder's actions.

“There really aren't words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments. I've expressed that to him," he said, according to Sportsnet reporter Ben Nicholson-Smith, "... anything exacerbating some level of anti-Islamic hate is just extremely concerning, extremely disappointing."

The official apology comes after the club released a previous response to Santander's Instagram stories that criticized El-Sayed, who won a highly contested race for U.S. Senator in Michigan and in doing so became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. Screenshots of a video showed a caption that read, "America voted for Sharia (law) last night!" Another post seen in screenshots had a caption on the video that said, "Islam is not peaceful."

“Baseball is for everyone," said the initial statement, which was attributed to a team spokesperson, "and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark. Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs.”

The previous response received criticism for not apologizing and not taking a strong enough stance against Islamophobia.

Santander has yet to comment publicly.

The 32-year-old did not play for Toronto last season as the Blue Jays went 79-83 and failed to make the playoffs. He has been struggling with shoulder injuries and had surgery in February.

The Venezuela native was limited to just 54 regular season games in 2025, the first year of a five-year, $92.5 million contract, due to a left shoulder subluxation. He returned in time to play in five playoff games, but a back injury forced his removal from the ALCS roster, ending his season. The Blue Jays made it to the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.

Contributing: Gabe Lacques

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blue Jays apologize for Anthony Santander's posts, condemn Islamophobia

By virtue of them not being announced as finalists, we knew that neither Cam Schlittler or Ben Rice were going to win the 2026 American League Most Valuable Player Award. However, we had a pretty good feeling that the Cy Young and the slugger were going to finish high in the voting. On Thursday night, the announcement came, and Schlittler and Rice finished in fourth and ninth place respectively.

The Astros’ Yordan Alvarez took home the award over fellow finalists Junior Caminero and Bobby Witt Jr. Alvarez ended up being the unanimous winner, receiving all 30 first place votes. Caminero was a clear second, receiving all but three second place votes.

One of the three second-place votes that didn’t go to Caminero did go to Schlittler — shout out to Dave Skretta of the Associated Press. The rest of his votes range somewhere between third and 10th. He only just narrowly missed being named a finalist, as he finished only seven points behind Witt for third. While a pitcher winning MVP has happened in recent memory, it can often be hard for them to get close considering that they have an award for themselves in the Cy Young. Finishing fourth matches Shane Bieber in 2020 — although there’s quite a big caveat on that one — for the best finish for a pure pitcher (sorry, Shohei) since Clayton Kershaw’s National League win in 2014.

As for Rice, he received two third-place votes himself, but all the rest of his ranged between fifth and 10th place. I think if I were voting, I would’ve had him higher up in ninth, but I am somewhat biased in the fact that I watch him every day.

Those were the only two Yankees to receive votes, which isn’t particularly shocking. You can view the full list here. For those curious, the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong was unsurprisingly named the unanimous winner in the NL.

There were certainly plenty of aspects to the Yankees’ 2026 season that were disappointing, but Schlittler and Rice certainly weren’t the reasons.

Junior Caminero can now officially be said to have been a candidate for the Most Valuable Player as he placed 2nd among all players in the American League for the prestigious award. Yordan Alvarez received the honor as the league’s Most Valuable Player for his incredible season.

It was another terrific season for Caminero in his second full year at the big league level as the now 23-year old third baseman hit .276/.360/.524 with 42 HR over 702 plate appearances, registering a 142 wRC+ and accruing 5.3 fWAR over 162 games.

Caminero possesses the fastest bat speed in the game and is among the upper echelon when it comes to xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, Avg Exit Velo, Barrel%, and Hard-Hit%. This past season, Caminero’s offensive game went up a notch as he honed his plate discipline. This led to a drop in strikeout and nearly doubling his walk rate.

Since the start of the 2025 season, Caminero is second in all of baseball in homeruns (87) while he ranks 8th in wRC+ (136) and 10th in fWAR (9.9). He is the only player in franchise history to have multiple 40 homerun seasons as well. Caminero joins Eddie Matthews, Alex Rodriguez, and Juan Gonzalez as the only players to accomplish this before their age 24 season

To add to his honors this offseason, Caminero has also been named to the All-MLB First Team as the top third baseman in the game; Teammates Drew Rasmussen were named to the All-MLB Second Team as a top starting pitcher while Bryan Baker was also named to the team as a top reliever.

With his 2nd place finish, Caminero became the closest player in franchise history to be named the MVP; Evan Longoria placed 6th in 2010 and 2013.

After nearly a decade as one of baseball's most powerful and productive hitters, Yordan Alvarez is finally getting his due.

Alvarez was named the unanimous 2026 American League Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers' Association in polling released Thursday, Nov. 12, as the Houston Astros slugger earned a just reward for a season in which he dominated the circuit.

Alvarez, 29, earned his first MVP after two previous spots in the top 10, most recently a third-place finish in 2022, when he led the Astros to a World Series title. Since his 2019 debut, only Aaron Judge's 1.037 OPS outranks Alvarez's .975 mark in that span.

And with Judge felled by injury for all but 66 games this season, Alvarez more than ably filled the void left by the New York Yankees' three-time MVP.

Alvarez duplicated Judge's 2025 feat in winning AL MVP, leading the major leagues in all three slash categories - a .316 batting average, a .432 on-base percentage and a .601 slugging percentage. All the while, he slammed 42 home runs and drove in 106, threatening for the traditional Triple Crown before Baltimore's Pete Alonso eclipsed him with 43 homers and 113 RBIs.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, who equaled Alvarez's 42 home runs, finished second with 267 points, while Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was third with 188 - after finishing second and fourth in 2024 and 2025.

Alvarez joins Judge and former Detroit Tigers great Miguel Cabrera as the lone AL players since 1970 to win a batting title and hit at least 40 home runs. He's the third Houston Astro to earn MVP honors, joining Jose Altuve (2017) and Jeff Bagwell, who was honored in the National League in 1994.

All the while, Alvarez kept the Astros afloat during a year in which they got off to a 16-27 start. Ultimately, they made history of a dubious sort, winning the AL West at 81-81 but becoming the first playoff participant in a full season with a non-winning record. His 6.8 WAR trailed only Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle (7.1) among position players.

2026 AL MVP voting, results

• Yordan Alvarez, Astros: 420 points (30 first-place votes)
• Junior Caminero, Rays: 267 points
• Bobby Witt Jr., Royals: 188 points
• Cam Schlittler, Yankees: 181 points
• Pete Alonso, Orioles: 144 points
• Miguel Vargas, White Sox: 129 points
• Kevin McGonigle, Tigers: 109 points
• Randy Arozarena, Mariners: 95 points
• Ben Rice, Yankees: 92 points
• Willson Contreras, Red Sox: 67 points
• Dylan Cease, Blue Jays: 20 points
• Wilyer Abreu, Red Sox: 17 points
• Parker Messick, Guardians: 10 points
• Dillon Dingler, Tigers: 7 points
• Steven Kwan, Guardians: 5 points
• Munetaka Murakami, White Sox: 5 points
• Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox: 4 points
• Ezequiel Durán, Rangers: 3 points
• Drew Rasmussen, Rays: 3 points
• Isaac Paredes, Astros: 2 points
• Cade Smith, Guardians: 2 points

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Astros' Yordan Alvarez supplants Aaron Judge as AL MVP after eerily similar season