Aaron Judge and Ben Rice of the New York Yankees were named among the top four candidates in MLB.com’s second Most Valuable Player poll of the 2026 season, according to results released on June 3. The poll, conducted by 35 MLB.com experts, evaluated players based on both current performance and projected outcomes for the remainder of the season.
In the American League, Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros led with seven first-place votes, followed closely by Judge with ten. Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals received thirteen first-place votes but finished just behind Judge in total points. Rice ranked fourth after a strong start to his third Major League season, leading MLB in slugging percentage and OPS while batting .306 with seventeen home runs and forty-four RBIs.
The National League race saw Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers as a clear favorite with thirty first-place votes. Ohtani has excelled both as a pitcher—posting an ERA of 0.82 over fifty-five innings—and as a hitter following a mid-May rest period. Other notable NL candidates included James Wood (Nationals), Corbin Carroll (Diamondbacks), Kyle Schwarber (Phillies), and Matt Olson (Braves).
The poll’s methodology involved each voter ranking their top five picks per league using a point system: five points for first place down to one point for fifth place. Thirty-five different players received at least one vote across both leagues.
Other American League players receiving votes included Mike Trout (Angels), Junior Caminero (Rays), Munetaka Murakami (White Sox), Shea Langeliers (Athletics), Yandy DÃaz (Rays), Cam Schlittler (Yankees), Julio RodrÃguez (Mariners), Kevin McGonigle (Tigers), Cody Bellinger (Yankees), and several others.
