In no world did anyone expect Ezequiel Durán to be named the 2026 American League Most Valuable Player, but the Texas Rangers shortstop ended up appearing on the ballot.

One of the major differences between MVP voting compared to the rest of the Baseball Writers' Association of America awards is the fact that it goes to 10th place instead of the usual fifth.

Upon the expanded voting, Durán was able to sneak into the ballot with a pair of votes.

Durán received one ninth-place vote to go alongside one 10th-place vote, officially putting him at tied for 18th place with three points.

The Silver Slugger finalist was in tremendous company alongside Drew Rasmussen, a pitcher who made quite a statement all the way through the World Series.

Remember, this is only a regular season award, but that's perfect for a Rangers team that finished 80-82 and just missed out on the playoffs and a division title.

There are no guarantees that he sticks around for the long haul, but Durán is only entering his second year of arbitration eligibility in 2027.

This is a player that could continue to climb the ranks in terms of MVP voting, and that's something this Rangers organization could desperately use.

While they aren't reliant on one player to change everything, it would sure help to see Durán take another leap in '27.

The 27-year-old is fresh off a 2026 campaign where he hit .260 with a .740 OPS. He smashed 17 home runs and had 83 RBIs.

Jake Burger and Brandon Nimmo gave him a run for his money in a few categories, but Durán accounted for an astonishing 4.2 WAR.

Wins Above Replacement is one of the many advanced statistics that has gotten a ton of attention in the MLB, and rightfully so.

No matter what the Rangers record says, this number shows that Durán was able to lead the team to roughly four more wins than someone who would replace him.

For reference, Burger and Nimmo combined for 3.2 WAR this season. Durán trailed those two in a few categories, but that trio paced this team as Durán appeared in 153 games while the other two played in 155 each.

Durán and Rasmussen found themselves ranked just above Isaac Paredes and Cade Smith, who rounded out the ballot with a pair of 10th place votes each.

Yordan Alvarez was named the unanimous AL MVP this season with a perfect 30 first-place votes.

Junior Caminero crushed it in the polls behind him, accounting for 27 second-place votes.