This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
HOUSTON – With the World Series concluding later this week, baseball fans can turn their attention to the multitude of awards that will be passed out in November – a month that should see Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez filling up his trophy case.
Alvarez is the favorite to win the Most Valuable Player Award in the American League, which is voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and will be announced Nov. 12. He also will be among the favorites for the AL Silver Slugger at designated hitter (announced Nov. 17), the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter of the Year and perhaps even the AL Comeback Player of the Year (both announced Nov. 11).
Alvarez had a monster 2026 season in which he won the batting title in the AL and led MLB with a .316 average. He also led the Majors in on-base percentage (.432), slugging percentage (.601), OPS (1.033) and walks (109) while leading the AL in offensive WAR (7.2), total bases (341) and extra-base hits (77). Alvarez finished second in the AL in RBIs (106) and tied for second in home runs (42), both of which were career highs.
The Astros haven’t had an MVP since second baseman Jose Altuve in 2017.
“No doubt, he’s hands down the best player right now in the league,” Altuve said of Alvarez. “It’s crazy everything he’s doing. He does it over and over. We know he’s going to hit a lot of homers, but when he hits it, we’re still surprised. He’s amazing. He deserves everything that happens to him.”
The finalists for the BBWAA awards (Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young Award, Reliever of the Year and MVP) will be announced live on MLB Network from 5-7 p.m. CT on Monday; the Silver Slugger finalists will be announced at 1 p.m. CT on Monday by Louisville Slugger.
In addition to Alvarez, Jeremy Peña is a candidate for the AL Silver Slugger Award at shortstop, following a season in which he slashed .277/.325/.477 with 22 homers and 56 RBIs.
Major League Baseball will also announce its first- and second-team All-MLB selections Nov. 11 during the MLB Awards show on MLB Network from The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas (8-10 p.m. CT). Alvarez will certainly be recognized yet again.
The Astros have two candidates for a Rawlings Gold Glove Award – first baseman Christian Walker and right fielder Cam Smith. Those winners will be announced at 8 p.m. CT Sunday on ESPN.
Walker led AL first basemen in fielding percentage (.997), committing only three errors. He didn’t make his first error in 2026 until the ninth inning of an Aug. 21 game against the A’s, snapping a 121-game errorless streak that was the longest in the Majors last season.
According to FanGraphs, he ranked second among AL first basemen in outs above average (+3) and was third in defensive runs saved (three). Walker won three consecutive Gold Gloves as a member of the D-backs in 2022-24 – his final three years in Arizona before signing a three-year, $60 million deal with Houston.
Smith, who’s been a Gold Glove finalist in both of his big league seasons, looked more comfortable in right field this year, benefitting from improved range: His +7 OAA ranked in the 91st percentile of MLB and fourth-most in the Majors among primary right fielders.
There are other Astros players who could receive award consideration, though they aren’t likely front-runners. That includes right-hander AJ Blubaugh, who led Major League relievers with 96 innings pitched as a rookie and could warrant AL Rookie of the Year votes. He had a 3.66 ERA and led all relievers in multi-inning appearances (35), appearances of two-plus innings (27) and scoreless relief appearances of two-plus innings (16).
Astros closer Josh Hader missed the first two months of the season with a left biceps injury, but he could still get some votes for AL Reliever of the Year. He didn’t pitch until June 3 and then proceeded to go 26-for-26 in save chances, posting a 1.01 ERA, a 0.76 WHIP and a .375 opponents’ OPS, with 55 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings.