Baltimore Orioles' Pete Alonso Named Finalist for MLB Award

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso is in the running for another major honor.  Alonso was named a finalist for the 2026 Hank Aaron Award after a productive debut season in Baltimore. He led the entire American League in both home runs and RBIs, falling just short of winning the hitting triple crown.

The Orioles announced that he was a finalist on X, encouraging fans to vote for Alonso ahead of the November 11th announcement in Las Vegas. The award recognizes the top offensive performer in each league, and Alonso is one of 10 American League finalists.

The Hank Aaron Award was introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's career home run record. Fans can vote through October 12th with winners announced November 11th. 

There are plenty of reasons why Alonso was put on that list. The 31-year-old played 161 games and hit .267 with a .363 on-base percentage and .884 OPS, finishing with 43 home runs, 113 RBIs.

He never landed on the injured list and was one of the most durable players in the American League all season. He would have played 162 games, but the final game of the season was cancelled due to weather. Baltimore signed him to a five-year, $155 million contract last winter and he has lived up to every penny so far.

Alonso became the first player in baseball history to lead both leagues in RBIs, having led the National League with 131 for the New York Mets in 2022 before leading the AL with 113 this year. No player had ever done it before him.

The competition for the award will be tough. Alonso is joined by Yordan Alvarez, Randy Arozarena, Junior Caminero, Willson Contreras, Yandy Diaz, Riley Greene, Ben Rice, Miguel Vargas and Bobby Witt Jr. among the AL finalists. Alvarez and Caminero figure to be the two other strongest candidates for the award.

The Orioles finished 79-82 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year, so Alonso's individual production did not translate into team success. That is the biggest challenge facing Baltimore this offseason, building a roster around him that is actually capable of competing in the AL East.

For Alonso, the nomination caps a debut season in Baltimore that already stands as one of the better individual performances in Orioles history. He will look to continue that success in 2027, with hopes of bringing playoff baseball back to Camden Yards.