Yordan Alvarez led the majors in batting average, but Pete Alonso topped him in both home runs and RBI to keep the Triple Crown out of reach.
Yordan Alvarez is a strong favorite for MVP, but the Triple Crown slipped away. The Houston Astros closed out the season with a 9-0 shutout of the Athletics, claiming the division title.
It has been an up-and-down season for the Astros, but Yordan Alvarez was clutch all season long. Coming off a year where he missed significant time, he sat out just four games all season, playing in 158. He was in the running for the AL Triple Crown, and for a stretch it even looked like he could chase down the full MLB version, not just the American League. But a few players closing hard down the stretch, plus a minor ankle issue, made the gap too much to close in the end. The slugger will have to settle for MVP and the batting title this season.
Alvarez came close, but Orioles slugger Pete Alonso beat him out in home runs and RBIs in the American League. Alonso ended the season with 43 home runs and 113 RBIs, making him the first player in MLB history to win an RBI title in both leagues, having previously led the National League with the Mets. Alvarez was close behind with 42 home runs and 106 RBIs. Nothing to be ashamed of there, but not enough to snag the Triple Crown. He did, however, finish the season leading all of Major League Baseball with a .316 batting average, becoming just the third Astro ever to win a batting title, joining Jose Altuve and Yuli Gurriel.
Elsewhere around the league, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Schwarber shared the overall MLB home run lead with 45, while Alec Burleson led all of baseball in RBI with 116 of his own in the National League.
Yordan Alvarez might not have claimed the Triple Crown, but he had an outstanding season with the stats to prove it, and a batting title. Here is a look at his 2026 regular season stats.
- His .316 average is 16 points above his career mark, and he won the AL batting title with it.
- His 42 homers and 106 RBI were second in the AL, just one homer behind Alonso.
- His 1.033 OPS is nearly 60 points above his career OPS, and second-best in the entire American League this season.
- Slugging .601 this season and .578 for his career, a real power surge even in a year defined more by his average.
Overall, an outstanding season, and he will likely receive the MVP title to prove it.
