Sports

Astros Slugger and Cubs Superstar Win MLB Player of the Week Honors

By Joe Najarian Athlon Sports

On Monday, Major League Baseball gave out their Player of the Week Awards, spanning June 1 to June 7.

In the American League, Houston Astrosdesignated hitter Yordan Alvarez earned the honor for the second time this season, having previously won on April 4. Meanwhile, the National League winner was center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs.

Yordan Alvarez Making Triple Crown Push

Leading up to June, Alvarez was already firmly in the AL MVP conversation. The 28-year-old slugger boasted an impressive .301/.416/.634 slash line and 20 home runs, putting him among MLB's leaders in a majority of offensive categories. However, his tremendous start to the month would put him in position for one of baseball's most prestigious achievements.

The intimidating lefty collected a hit in all six of the Astros' games during the week, going 10-for-21 (.476) with five walks against just a single strikeout. Alvarez drove in five runs in a three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates, belting a two-run home run in the first game and pounding four hits with two RBI in the second game. Then, on June 6 against the Athletics, he launched a grand slam that broke open an eventual 13-2 win for Houston.

When the week concluded, Alvarez pushed his slash line to .316/.431/.650 for an-MLB best 1.080 OPS. He now leads the American League with 22 home runs and 48 RBI, while his .316 average trails only fellow Cuban slugger Yandy Diaz (.325) of the Tampa Bay Rays. Being within striking distance of the batting title, Alvarez has a legitimate shot at the Triple Crown; the last player to accomplish the feat is Miguel Cabrera in 2012, and the last before him was Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

The Astros are still struggling on the year with a 30-37 record, but Alvarez has been more than a bright spot. If he keeps up his historic production, his first career MVP award could be on deck.

Pete Crow-Armstrong Continues Power Surge

After breaking out in 2025 by joining the 30-30 club and posting 5.4 fWAR, PCA started 2026 slowly. In his first 50 games, the 25-year-old was hitting just .225/.302/.357 with five home runs and 12 extra-base hits. But Crow-Armstrong has since turned his season around.

The past week marked a power surge for the young center fielder, as he mashed four home runs while going 11-for-25 (.440). The four homers gave Crow-Armstrong an absurd .920 slugging percentage for the six-game stretch.

Two of his homers came on June 6 against the San Francisco Giants as part of a four-hit game, and both of them were game-tying homers. The second one was a dramatic blast with the Cubs down to their final out, evoking memories of Ryne Sandberg from long-time Cubs fans. Two days earlier, Crow-Armstrong hit a walk-off single to cap off a four-run ninth inning comeback against the Athletics, further demonstrating his flair for the dramatic.

PCA's big week merely serves as a continuation of a red hot stretch dating back to May 22. Over his last 16 games, the center fielder has been on another planet with a .355/.446/.694 slash line, six home runs, nine extra-base hits and a 210 wRC+. He recorded a hit in 14 of the 16 games, and carries a 12-game hitting streak into Monday's action.

The Cubs have actually struggled despite the amazing play of their franchise center fielder, as they went 2-4 last week. They sit at 34-32 and trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 7.5 games in the brutally competitive NL Central.

But if the rest of the team gets hot at the same time as PCA, the Cubs will become an extremely dangerous opponent.

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 5:07 PM.

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