The Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso has been one of the American League’s most productive hitters in his first season with the club. He has played in all 157 of Baltimore’s games and hit 40 home runs while leading the AL with 108 RBIs.
That production has earned Alonso the 2026 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award. Local media members who regularly cover the Orioles voted on the honor, and Alonso received every first-place vote.
The team revealed the news before Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays and will recognize Alonso during an on-field ceremony. Alonso is the first unanimous winner since Cedric Mullins in 2021 and the eighth first baseman in franchise history to earn the award.
Alonso spent his first seven seasons with the New York Mets, winning the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year Award and leading the league with 131 RBIs in 2022.
When he became a free agent after the 2025 season, it was expected that he would re-sign with the Mets for the rest of his career, but the Mets did not offer him a contract, worrying about a high price. Instead, Alonso signed with Baltimore.
Alonso then signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles in December 2025. Since then, he has hit .265 with a .359 on-base percentage and a .510 slugging percentage, with 24 doubles, and he hit his 39th and 40th home runs Monday night in a 4-3 win over Toronto.
Jamie LeBlanc-Imagn Images
The Orioles enter Wednesday’s game with less than a 0.1 percent chance of making the postseason with an elimination number of 1. Alonso will have four more years remaining on his contract as Baltimore looks to return to the postseason.
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