Pete Alonso Wins Unanimous Most Valuable Oriole Award in His First Baltimore Season
Pete Alonso has earned a unanimous vote of confidence from the reporters who cover the Orioles. Baltimore announced September 23rd that its first baseman won the 2026 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award, capping a major individual achievement in his first season with the team.
The team announcement, carried by MASN, identifies local media members as the voters. Alonso is the first unanimous winner since Cedric Mullins in 2021 and the eighth first baseman in franchise history to receive the honor. The award recognizes an Orioles season; it is separate from the American League MVP vote.
At the time of the announcement, Alonso had 40 home runs and 108 RBIs, with a .265 batting average and an .869 OPS. Those figures reflect the September 23rd announcement, not his final season totals. His 40th homer had arrived September 21st.
The achievement also reflects how regularly Baltimore could put him in the lineup. The announcement credited him with starting all 157 games played to that point. Availability and run production together help explain why the first-place decision was unanimous, even with other Orioles receiving votes farther down the ballot.
In Rich Dubroff’s reporting for BaltimoreBaseball.com, Alonso stressed the value of being trusted to remain himself. Manager Craig Albernaz emphasized his day-to-day consistency, while executive Mike Elias praised both his production and the leadership connection he had developed with the team and its supporters.
That reporting also places the award in the larger expectations surrounding Alonso’s arrival. He joined Baltimore on a five-year, $155 million contract last December. A team honor does not settle the club’s broader competitive questions, but it does identify a player whose first year delivered a clear individual impact.
For Orioles fans, the distinction is useful: a season can bring disappointment and still contain performances worth recognizing. Alonso’s award captures that individual contribution. Follow PowerPage’s recent Baltimore sports coverage for the region’s other developing stories.
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