Christian Walker Explains Why Yordan Alvarez Probably Won’t Do the Home Run Derby

Yordan Alvarez is hitting .310 with 26 home runs and leads the American League in both categories. He’s in the Triple Crown conversation. His batting practice sessions at Minute Maid Park have turned into something fans line up early to watch.

So naturally, people want to see him in the Home Run Derby. But Christian Walker, his teammate, threw some cold water on that idea.

“That’s not his style,” Walker said during an appearance on Foul Territory. The clip quickly made the rounds online.

Walker didn’t question Alvarez’s raw power. He made that clear from the jump. “He can launch balls, he knows how to do that. His BP is a show,” Walker said. But then he got to the part that matters.

Alvarez is a hitter first. Not a showman. Not a guy who lights up at the idea of putting on a spectacle for a crowd that came to see bombs. Walker described him as someone who operates on routine and confidence. “It’s ultimate trust,” he said. The Derby stage doesn’t really fit that.

This is the same guy who went deep twice in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series as a rookie. He doesn’t need a Monday night exhibition to prove he can hit a baseball a long way. The Astros know that. Walker knows that. And honestly, Alvarez probably knows that too.

There’s also the timing. The All-Star break comes right in the middle of a season where Houston is trying to make another deep playoff run. Alvarez has dealt with knee issues in the past, and the Astros have a track record of being cautious with their stars. Letting him stand in the cage and take 80-100 swings in a competition that rewards pure power over approach might not be the smartest move for a team that needs him in October.

Walker’s comments didn’t sound like criticism. They sounded like a guy who knows how his teammate works. Alvarez is about results, not highlights. The big show for him happens every night from April through September. The Derby is just a distraction.

That said, it would be fun to watch. Nobody is arguing that. Alvarez has the kind of raw strength that makes even routine batting practice feel like an event. But Walker’s point is a fair one. It’s just not who Alvarez is. And for the Astros, that might be exactly why he’s so valuable.