When people think about baseball’s MVP races, the same names usually come to mind. Superstars like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani dominate headlines on a regular basis, and for good reason. They continue to remind everyone why they’re ranked among the best players in the game.
But every season, a handful of unexpected players come out of nowhere to become legitimate MVP candidates. In many cases, they’re players who weren’t even expected to make the All-Star team when the season began.
This trend has continued in 2026, with several under-the-radar players emerging in both the AL and NL MVP races. From breakout MLB stars raising their level of play to established veterans enjoying some of the best years of their careers, these players deserve a lot more recognition than they’re getting.
Let’s take a look at five of the biggest surprise MVP candidates in baseball.
Yordan Alvarez, DH, Houston Astros (AL)
When the season began, most of the attention in the AL MVP race was focused on familiar names like Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. While Yordan Alvarez was a respected big leaguer, he wasn’t a player many fans expected to be among the AL MVP frontrunners by early June.
After being limited by injuries in 2025, Alvarez has returned with a vengeance, hitting .316 while ranking among the league leaders in several offensive categories. With 22 home runs and a 1.080 OPS, he’s been one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball whenever he steps into the batter’s box.
While bigger storylines have dominated headlines, Alvarez has forced his way into the AL MVP conversation with one of the best offensive campaigns in the majors.
Kyle Schwarber, DH, Philadelphia Phillies (NL)
When most fans think of Kyle Schwarber, they think of towering home runs and lots of strikeouts. What they probably don’t think about is MVP contention. Yet through the first two months of the 2026 season, Schwarber has built one of the strongest cases in the National League outside of Shohei Ohtani.
The veteran slugger has once again established himself as one of the game’s premier power hitters, leading all of baseball with 23 home runs. He also ranks near the top of the NL in RBIs and OPS, and remains the driving force behind the Phillies’ offence.
While the NL MVP will likely end up going to Ohtani, Schwarber is putting together the kind of season that deserves recognition. If he continues producing at this level and Philadelphia remains in the playoff picture, he’ll have a stronger MVP case than many people realize.
Ben Rice, 1B, New York Yankees (AL)
Heading into the season, most Yankees fans expected Aaron Judge to be the centre of any MVP discussion involving New York. What they probably didn’t anticipate was Ben Rice emerging as one of the most productive hitters in baseball.
The 27-year-old has been one of this season’s breakout stars, transforming from a promising young player into a legitimate middle-of-the-order force. It’s Rice, not Judge, who leads the Yankees with 18 home runs, while ranking second in the AL with a 1.032 OPS. In fact, the only hitter with a higher OPS than Rice is Yordan Alvarez.
MVP races are rarely won in June, and Rice still has plenty to prove over the remainder of the season. Even so, the fact that his name can be mentioned alongside some of the American League’s top hitters speaks volumes about the season he’s putting together.
Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (NL)
If there were an award for the most overlooked superstar in baseball, Corbin Carroll would be the frontrunner. For a player who helped lead the Diamondbacks to a World Series appearance, Carroll doesn’t seem to generate nearly as much attention as some of the other stars around the league. Yet once again, he’s proving why he’s one of baseball’s most dynamic players.
One of the biggest reasons Carroll deserves more MVP attention is his consistency. While many players go through prolonged hot and cold stretches over the course of a season, Carroll seems to find a way to contribute almost every night. Whether it’s at the plate, on the bases or in the field, he’s become the type of player Arizona can count on regardless of the situation.
Carroll may not dominate headlines or lead any key stat categories, but his performance speaks for itself. If Arizona stays in the playoff race, Carroll’s name should be appearing on plenty of NL MVP ballots.
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics (AL)
If you had predicted Nick Kurtz would be drawing MVP attention this season, you probably would have been laughed out of the room. Not because he wasn’t talented enough, but because most people expected the Athletics to spend another season near the bottom of the standings.
Kurtz entered 2026 coming off a remarkable Rookie of the Year campaign, yet the 23-year-old has somehow elevated his game even further. He’s quickly become the focal point of the Athletics’ offence and even put together a 48-game on-base streak, tying A’s legend Mark McGwire for the Athletics’ single-season franchise record.
The biggest surprise isn’t that he’s playing well. It’s that he’s gone from future star to legitimate MVP candidate in less than two full seasons. If the Athletics remain competitive and Kurtz keeps producing at this pace, his name isn’t leaving the AL MVP conversation anytime soon.