Yordan Alvarez won the 2026 Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award on Wednesday night, ending Shohei Ohtani's five-year run and giving the Houston Astros their first player to receive the honor.
The result matters because Ohtani had won the award in each of the past five years, a streak that tied an MLB record. Alvarez stepped in after that run and took the prize for 2026, shifting one of MLB's most consistent awards away from the game's most familiar winner.
For Alvarez, the award also adds another layer to a 2026 campaign that already placed him among the league's top performers. He was a finalist for American League MVP after the season, which helps explain why his name rose high enough to break Ohtani's hold on the award.
The honor is named for Edgar Martínez and goes to the game's outstanding designated hitter, so the shift from Ohtani to Alvarez is not just a change in winners. It also marks the first time a Houston Astros player has ever claimed it, which gives Alvarez's season a place in the franchise's record book.
What remains unresolved is the exact shape of the season that pushed Alvarez over the top, because the award result does not spell out the specific numbers behind the vote. What is clear is that after five years of the same winner, MLB has a new name on the trophy, and Alvarez now has the distinction of being the first Astros player to take it home.
