Six months ago, before the Yankees and Giants played on Opening Night, a group of MLB.com voters did their best to pick which players would lead the American and National Leagues in several key stats. But then, well, baseball happened.
Things often don’t go the way you expect over a 162-game season, but that’s part of the fun. So whether they are surprises or familiar faces, here is a look at the players who led their leagues in notable statistical categories in 2026.
BATTING
Batting average
AL/MLB: Yordan Alvarez (HOU), .316
The Astros didn’t have a single player win the batting title through the 2013 season but are now responsible for five such instances since 2014. Jose Altuve took those honors in 2014 and 2016-17, Yuli Gurriel won in 2021, and now Alvarez joins them. It was a career season across the board for Alvarez, who has compiled a compelling MVP case by finishing near the top of the Majors in almost every important offensive category.
NL: Gabriel Moreno (AZ), .311
Moreno’s season didn’t get off to a great start as he spent most of April on the injured list due to a left oblique strain, and he carried a sub-.250 batting average into June. But he found his groove at the plate soon after that and was one of the league’s hottest hitters over the final few months, batting .332 from June 7 on. He is the first D-back to win a batting crown and the first primary catcher to lead his league in average since the Giants’ Buster Posey in 2012.
Home runs
AL: Pete Alonso (BAL), 43
In his first season with the Orioles, Alonso led the American League with 43 home runs, one ahead of Junior Caminero and Yordan Alvarez. Perhaps surprisingly, this was only the second time that Alonso led his league in home runs and his first time since hitting 53 as a rookie in 2019. The slugging first baseman has crushed 307 homers since his rookie season, second most behind Kyle Schwarber (313).
NL/MLB: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) and Kyle Schwarber (PHI), 45
Crow-Armstrong, the surefire 2026 NL MVP, excelled across the board and ended up tied for the MLB lead with 45 home runs. PCA is the first Cub to either outright lead or be tied for the league lead in home runs since Sammy Sosa in 2002. Meanwhile, Schwarber followed up his career-high 56 homers from last year with 45 home runs in 2026.
RBIs
AL: Pete Alonso (BAL), 113
Alonso had an incredible first year with the Orioles and made a little history along the way. Alonso led the National League with 131 RBIs for the Mets in 2022 and the American League with 113 RBIs for the Orioles this year. Since RBIs became official in both leagues in 1920, Alonso is the first player to win an RBI title in both leagues.
NL/MLB: Alec Burleson (STL), 116
Burleson’s previous career high was 78 RBIs in 2024, but he shattered that mark with 116 during an impressive 2026. The 2025 NL Silver Slugger as a utility player, Burleson was a fixture at first base in ’26 and produced runs at an impressive clip for St. Louis.
Stolen bases
AL: Chandler Simpson, 46
While Simpson finished shy of winning the batting title, he led the AL with 46 stolen bases. Simpson’s season was unique in many ways -- he became the first qualified hitter to bat .300 with no home runs in a season since Luis Castillo in 1999 -- and his speed was certainly part of the equation. This was the third straight year that someone from the Rays led the AL in stolen bases -- José Caballero won it for Tampa Bay in 2024 and for the Rays and Yankees last year.
NL/MLB: Nasim Nuñez (WSH), 49
Nuñez led the Majors with 49 stolen bases, despite not qualifying for the batting title (he finished with 493 plate appearances). He joined Trea Turner (2018 with the Nationals, 2021 with the Nats and Dodgers) as the only Nationals players to win the stolen-base title since the club moved to D.C. in 2005.
OPS
AL/MLB: Yordan Alvarez (HOU), 1.033
Alvarez led the American League and Majors in various offensive categories, with his OPS being the most prominent of the bunch. Alvarez, who owns a career .975 OPS, was well above with a 1.033 mark this year. He’s the first Astro to lead a league in OPS since Jeff Bagwell led the NL in 1994.
NL: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), .942
It was a storybook regular season across the board for PCA, who was arguably the best defensive player in baseball while also leading the NL in OPS. Crow-Armstrong nearly increased his OPS by 200 points from .768 in 2025 to .942 in 2026. He is the first Cub to lead the NL in OPS since Derek Lee in 2005.
PITCHING
Wins
AL: Sonny Gray (BOS), 18
Gray dazzled in his first year in Boston as part of an exciting group of Red Sox starters that also included Ranger Suarez and Payton Tolle. The 37-year-old posted a 2.72 ERA and led the American League with 18 wins, the first time that he has ever led his respective league in victories in his 14-year career.
NL: Cristopher Sánchez (PHI), 18
Sánchez has blossomed into one of the best starters in baseball and headlines a devastating Phillies rotation. After finishing second in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2025, the left-hander could very well finish in a similar position this year. Sánchez became the first Phillies pitcher to lead the NL in wins since Roy Halladay in 2010.
ERA
AL: Cam Schlittler (NYY), 1.95
Schlittler entered rarified air in Yankees history with his dominant season. His 1.95 ERA is the third-lowest by a Yankee (min. 150 innings) since earned runs became an official stat in the AL in 1913. Schlittler seems like a good bet to take home Cy Young Award honors in the American League.
NL/MLB: Jacob Misiorowski (MIL), 1.80
It was a massive breakout for the flamethrowing right-hander, as the Miz led the Majors in ERA and strikeouts this season. Misiorowski put himself in line as the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award and joined Corbin Burnes (2021) as the only Brewers pitchers to lead the National League in ERA.
Strikeouts
AL: Gavin Williams (CLE), 248
In terms of swing and miss, Williams had a monster season by leading the American League with 248 strikeouts. While fellow rotation mate Parker Messick stole the show in many ways, Williams put himself on the radar as one of the game’s premier strikeout artists.
NL/MLB: Jacob Misiorowski (MIL), 252
As mentioned before, Misiorowski not only led the Majors in ERA but also paced the field in strikeouts. Watch one Miz start and it’s not hard to figure out how he racked up so many K’s -- few pitchers have ever thrown a fastball like he does, averaging 100.6 mph with his overpowering heater. The aforementioned Burnes was the first Brewer to lead his respective lead in strikeouts, but Misiorowski is the first to lead the Majors in the category.
Saves
AL/MLB: Cade Smith (CLE) and Bryan Baker (TB), 41
Smith has developed into one of the top relievers in all of baseball since debuting in 2024. In his first year as a full-time closer, he saved 41 games for a Guardians team that won the AL Central. Baker’s season was much harder to see coming. Traded from the Orioles to the Rays at the 2025 Trade Deadline, Baker became the Rays’ best reliever this season, sporting a 1.44 ERA and securing 41 saves.
NL: Mason Miller (SD) and Riley O’Brien (STL), 38
Miller had a season for the ages, posting a 1.67 ERA with a whopping 129 strikeouts in 70 innings as the Padres closer. He has a good case for baseball’s top reliever with an electrifying fastball-slider combo. O’Brien, meanwhile, had a strong season with a 4.08 ERA, making his first All-Star Game and tying Miller for the saves lead.
OVERALL
WAR (per FanGraphs)
AL: Yordan Alvarez (HOU) and Bobby Witt Jr. (KC), 6.8
This is a fitting conclusion to the season for both of these players given the impending MVP discourse we will assuredly have. If you’re looking for a slugger that led the Majors in OPS and was near the top in every meaningful offensive category, Alvarez is your guy. If you’re looking for a do-it-all player who combines elite shortstop defense, well above-average offense and blazing speed on the bases, Witt is a solid option.
NL/MLB: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), 10.6
When you post a 40-40 season on offense and are arguably the best defensive player in the sport, you’re going to have a prodigious WAR total. The likely NL MVP, Crow-Armstrong is the first Senior Circuit player to produce more than 10.0 fWAR in a single season since Barry Bonds in 2004 (11.9).