Juan Soto Wants to Pick Yordan Alvarez’s Brain at the All-Star Game. That Says a Lot.

Next week in Philadelphia, the MLB All-Star Game will bring together the best players in baseball. And for Juan Soto, the real draw isn’t the game itself. It’s getting a chance to talk shop with Yordan Alvarez.

“I can’t wait to see Yordan Alvarez,” Soto told The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, “and try to pick his head and see what he is thinking.”

Soto, one of the game’s most disciplined hitters, doesn’t say that about just anyone. But Alvarez is having a season that makes even superstars stop and take notice. The Houston Astros slugger is hitting .310 with a .416 on-base percentage and a .614 slugging percentage. He’s got 29 home runs and 67 RBIs. He’s on pace for a Triple Crown conversation, and he’s doing it for a team that’s been fighting all year just to stay in the playoff hunt.

But it’s not just Soto who’s impressed. Alvarez’s own teammate, Jose Altuve, is maybe his biggest fan.

“Pure hitter, he’s the best I’ve ever seen,” Altuve said. “Nobody (is) better than him. He’s amazing. I’m really happy he plays for us and not against us.”

Astros manager Joe Espada went even further, calling this half the best he’s seen from a position player at the major league level. That’s a big statement from a guy who’s been around the game a long time.

“This is probably the best first half I’ve seen from a position player at the major-league level,” Espada said. “The game has evolved and it’s become more difficult to hit now than it was when I first started coaching. How consistent and how good he is, sometimes you scratch your head wondering how he makes it look this easy.”

Alvarez himself doesn’t seem interested in the MVP chatter, at least not right now.

“I don’t think about that type of stuff,” Alvarez said. “It’s a long season, so I don’t want to think about that stuff. The pressure I put on myself is more of trying to be better. If I just go out there and play, the numbers are going to come by themselves. And then, at the end of the season, if the numbers are there, I’ll have the chance to win that award.”

The Astros are 46-49 heading into the break. That’s third in the AL West, but they’re only two games behind the Seattle Mariners and just a game and a half back of the Texas Rangers for the final wild card spot. If Houston is going to make a real run in the second half, they’ll need Alvarez to keep doing what he’s doing. And maybe Soto will pick up a few tips while he’s at it.