Yordan Alvarez hit his 34th homer Wednesday night against the Marlins, contributing to completing the sweep at Daikin Park.
That gives him the outright MLB home run lead, one home run ahead of Kyle Schwarber. In a season full of ups and downs for the Astros, Alvarez has been the one constant.
Nobody has won a Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012, but Yordan Alvarez has a real shot this season, per MLB.
Here is a look at his 2026 numbers, per MLB:
.328 batting average, 34 home runs, 77 RBI, 1.089 OPS
Alvarez continues to be the best hitter in baseball right now and the Astros need him to stay that way.
Alvarez has been racking up the homers, but also crushing them in crucial moments. He hit a grand slam against the Twins June 30 that capped a six run comeback. A huge boost for the team.
He hit a two homer game on the Fourth of July against the Rays, and his 200th career home run against the Rangers on July 10. Now he is the MLB home run leader with his 34th on July 22. Alvarez is having a historic summer and season for that matter.
He leads or is near the top of virtually every offensive category in the AL. He was named the starting DH for the AL All-Star Game.
Jeff Bagwell and Jose Altuve are the only two MVP winners in Astros history. Alvarez is making his case to be the third, but the DH stigma has always been a real obstacle. Shohei Ohtani winning the NL MVP in 2024 purely as a designated hitter helped shift that conversation. "He's the Most Valuable Player right now, as we speak," Astros manager Joe Espada said, per MLB.
He has carried this team through a brutal stretch of injuries and inconsistency, and the Astros offense runs through him.
Altuve said it best: "Pure hitter, he's the best I've ever seen. Nobody is better than him. I'm really happy he plays for us and not against us,” per The Athletic.
The Astros are 50-54, but Alvarez has done everything he can.
A healthy second half with some trade deadline additions around him could make this team dangerous.
The best hitter in baseball is now the home run leader. The second half is just getting started, and Alvarez shows no signs of slowing down. This is what an MVP season looks like. He has a real chance at taking the American League Triple Crown.
