Gabriel Moreno Caps Brilliant 2026 With Top-10 Finish in NL MVP Vote

Well-deserved, again.

Sep 24, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Gabriel Moreno (14) celebrates his three-run home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Thursday night, the MLB BBWAA offseason awards culminated with the annoumcement of MVP voting. As expected, Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno was among those involved.

The award itself went to Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who won it unanimously. That was no surprise; neither was Shohei Ohtani placing second despite a "down" season for his standards.

It took several more places to get to Moreno. Brice Turang of the World Series champion Brewers placed second, Elly De La Cruz of the Reds placed fourth and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski placed fifth.

Moreno received sixth place, garnering three third-place votes and 132 total points.

Gabriel Moreno places sixth in NL MVP vote

Sep 13, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (14) reacts after missing a pitch against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Diamondbacks fans certainly do not need a reminder of how impactful Moreno's 2026 season truly was. This award comes at the tail end of a parade of postseason accolades.

Moreno hit .311 in 2026, which was the best batting average in the National League. He set career highs in nearly every category, which added up to an exceptional .311/.388/.486 triple slash line and .874 OPS, plus a 143 OPS+.

The OPS and OPS+ were the best among catchers playing the majority of the season, and Moreno's defensive metrics remained strong. He posted +14 Defensive Runs Saved and +7 Fielding Run Value behind home plate, which also earned him his second career Gold Glove Award.

And in terms of pure value, it's hard to argue many players were as important to their club as Moreno. He was worth 6.7 Baseball-Reference WAR — which was the eighth-highest among all major league players — and 5.4 FanGraphs WAR, which led both the Diamondbacks and all other major league catchers.

Moreno also earned the local Arizona BBWAA chapter's team MVP honor, and on Wednesday night he was selected to the All-MLB first team, essentially solidifying his position as 2026's best backstop.

This is nothing new. Moreno, when healthy, has always been closely correlated with Arizona playing winning baseball. It's been difficult for him to remain on the field due to injuries and the taxing position that is playing catcher.

But in 2026, Moreno shattered his previous high of games played with 130. It was easy to see just how much the Diamondbacks' offense revolved around what he was able to do at the plate.

It's not going to be easy for Arizona to re-sign him once he nears free agency, but Moreno has proven himself to be one of the top young players in the game, and seems to just keep improving.