Yordan Alvarez has a strong chance to take home his first-ever American League MVP award. The 29-year-old Houston Astros slugger has posted a ridiculous .322 batting average, .436 on-base percentage and 1.057 OPS, all of which lead the entire MLB.
He also leads the entire American League in runs scored with 80, hits with 140, home runs with 35 and RBIs with 87. He is the biggest reason why Houston enters Friday hanging on to first place in the American League West.
MORE: 11-year MLB veteran chooses retirement instead of joining Astros
Alvarez played just 48 games in 2025, leading to the Astros missing out on the playoffs, so his impact on this team is undeniable.
However, even some of the league’s best hitters go through stretches where they lose their stride, and Alvarez is in one right now. While he has remained a productive hitter over the past 13 games, he has not hit a home run since July, one of the longest droughts he has experienced this year.
As a result, Alvarez decided to find his swing again by participating in on-field batting practice ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Seattle Mariners, a rarity for him according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
This is an important series for the Astros as they can continue to widen the gap between them and the division rival Mariners with a series win, and Alvarez clearly knows the stakes.
Whether or not the extra work makes a difference remains to be seen, but for a player of his caliber the willingness to put in the extra time when things are not going perfectly is exactly the kind of competitive edge that separates good players from great ones.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —