NEW YORK — Major League Baseball has reached a remarkable milestone: for the first time in history, the American League and National League Most Valuable Player awards and both Cy Young Awards have all been decided unanimously in the same season.
The historic sweep was completed when Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez collected every first-place vote in their respective MVP races. Earlier in the week, Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski and New York Yankees starter Cam Schlittler had also swept the voting for the Cy Young Awards.
Four Awards, Four Unanimous Decisions
The distinction is bigger than having two unanimous MVPs in one year. That has happened before, most recently in 2023 and 2024. Likewise, both leagues have had unanimous Cy Young winners in the same season on two previous occasions: 1968 and 2022. What had never happened before 2026 was all four awards — AL MVP, NL MVP, AL Cy Young and NL Cy Young — going unanimously to their winners in one campaign.
Major League Baseball confirmed the unprecedented combination in its awards coverage, while the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) lists Alvarez and Schlittler as the American League winners and Crow-Armstrong and Misiorowski as the National League recipients.
Alvarez Delivers A Historic Hitting Season
Alvarez’s unanimous selection capped a dominant return from an injury-disrupted 2025 season. The Astros slugger won the AL batting title with a .316 average, hit 42 home runs and drove in 106 runs. He also led the majors in on-base percentage at .432, slugging at .601 and OPS at 1.033, according to MLB’s season review.
His ability to combine elite power with consistent contact and plate discipline made him one of baseball’s most difficult hitters to contain. Alvarez came close to the Triple Crown conversation, finishing just one home run and seven RBIs behind the league leaders in those categories. His award also makes him the third Astros player to win the franchise’s MVP, following Jeff Bagwell and José Altuve.
Crow-Armstrong’s All-Around Impact Powers Cubs Star
Crow-Armstrong earned the National League honour after a season that blended power, speed and outstanding centre-field defence. He hit 45 home runs, stole 41 bases and scored 119 runs, becoming the seventh player in MLB history to record a 40-homer, 40-steal season.
MLB’s analysis also highlighted his 10.6 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement, the highest mark in the majors. After a difficult opening stretch, Crow-Armstrong made major adjustments at the plate and surged through the final two-thirds of the season. His unanimous victory makes him the first Cubs player to claim the award without a dissenting vote.
Misiorowski And Schlittler Dominate The Cy Young Vote
Misiorowski’s National League Cy Young campaign was built on extraordinary run prevention and strikeout production. The Brewers right-hander went 16-5 with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts, leading the majors in several major pitching categories. He also recorded a 0.80 WHIP and held opposing hitters to a .157 average, according to MLB’s Cy Young report.
Schlittler was equally convincing in the American League. The Yankees right-hander finished 14-6 with a 1.95 ERA and 239 strikeouts across 33 starts. His season included exceptional road performances, and his ability to combine velocity with command helped him establish himself among the league’s leading starters.
A Rare Moment In Baseball History
The four unanimous selections underline the scale of the seasons produced by the winners. The MVP races recognised two very different forms of excellence: Alvarez’s extraordinary offensive consistency and Crow-Armstrong’s rare combination of power, speed and defence. The Cy Young results, meanwhile, rewarded two young pitchers whose performances placed them at the top of their leagues.
The history is especially striking because unanimity is difficult to achieve across a 30-voter ballot. A single first-place vote for another candidate is enough to end a unanimous result. In 2026, none of the four races produced that dissent.
It is therefore not simply a season in which four outstanding players won major awards. It is the first campaign in MLB history in which every MVP and Cy Young winner in both leagues received unanimous support — a clean sweep that places Crow-Armstrong, Alvarez, Misiorowski and Schlittler together in the record books.
Sources: MLB — 2026 MVP Award winners; MLB — 2026 Cy Young Award winners; MLB — Facts and stats from the unanimous MVP wins; BBWAA — Annual awards results.