Aaron Judge's rib stress fracture has sidelined the three-time MVP and opened the 2026 American League award race to new contenders. Yordan Alvarez leads early favorites with elite power and average numbers. Other standouts include Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Kurtz and Ben Rice.
Judge will miss significant time, ending his bid for a fourth AL MVP. Ohtani's move to the National League after 2023 has further cleared the field.
Alvarez tops the AL with a 1.066 OPS, 22 home runs and a .316 average for the Astros. The 23-year-old first baseman Nick Kurtz leads MLB with a .438 on-base percentage and a 184 wRC+ since mid-April.
Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. leads the league with 3.8 WAR while Yankees first baseman Ben Rice ranks second in OPS at 1.005 with 18 home runs. Additional candidates include José Ramírez, Julio Rodríguez, Yandy Díaz, Junior Caminero and Byron Buxton.
