Yordan Alvarez Is on Pace for Something Only One Player Has Done This Century

Yordan Alvarez is mashing baseballs at a level that hasn’t been seen around here in a long time. The Houston Astros slugger currently leads the American League in batting average, home runs and RBI. That puts him in legitimate Triple Crown territory, and if you’re not paying attention yet, you probably should be.

The last guy to pull this off was Miguel Cabrera back in 2012 with the Tigers. Before that? Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. So yeah, it’s not something that happens every year. Or every decade, really.

Alvarez is hitting .318 right now, which is just barely ahead of Yandy Díaz at .317. That lead could vanish in a week. But the power numbers are what separate him from the pack. He’s got the most homers and the most RBIs in the league, and it’s not particularly close in some categories.

The full stat line is ridiculous

Beyond the Triple Crown stats, Alvarez leads the AL in runs scored, hits, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, OPS+ and total bases. Basically everything except stolen bases and defensive metrics. He’s just crushing the ball every time up.

Aaron Judge is still in the conversation as the best hitter in baseball, but he’s on the injured list right now. That opens the door for Alvarez to run away with the MVP race too, assuming he stays healthy. But there’s a catch that could mess with his Triple Crown chances.

Pitchers are flat-out afraid of him.

Alvarez has been intentionally walked 13 times this season, the most in the American League. That’s a problem if you’re trying to lead the league in homers and RBI. Guys can’t drive in runs if nobody throws them strikes. And managers are increasingly willing to put him on base rather than let him beat them.

It makes sense strategically. But it’s also the kind of thing that could cost him the Triple Crown by a single home run or a couple of RBIs. That would be a brutal way to fall short.

Still, Alvarez is swinging it as well as anyone in the game right now. The Astros are leaning on him, and he’s delivering. Whether the intentional walks pile up enough to derail history remains to be seen. But for now, he’s right there.