The Houston Astros are 46-49. They’re stuck in a three-way tie for the AL West lead that feels more like a slow bleed than a battle. But none of that is Yordan Alvarez’s problem.
On Friday night in Arlington, with the Astros offense basically comatose, Alvarez did what he’s done for most of the last six years. He crushed a fastball to deep right field at Globe Life Field. The ball didn’t just leave the yard. It kind of announced itself. Sixth inning, tie game gone. Alvarez had his 30th home run of the season and the 200th of his career. He’s the first player in the American League to hit 30 homers this year.
That’s five times in eight MLB seasons he’s cleared 30 dingers. And this might be the most impressive one yet, given how 2025 went for him.
Last year was brutal. Alvarez broke his hand and only played 48 games. He couldn’t grip a bat properly for months. There were whispers about whether he’d ever be the same hitter. Those whispers look pretty silly right now.
Alvarez has 30 homers in 94 games this season. That puts him on pace for 51. His previous career high was 37, back in 2022. He’s currently second in all of MLB behind Kyle Schwarber, who has 32. But Alvarez is doing this in the thick of a division race, not exactly cruising. The Astros are fighting for their lives and he’s carrying them on his back.
The problem is the rest of the team. Houston lost Friday’s opener to the Rangers 7-3. The offense outside of Alvarez went quiet again. The pitching, inconsistent. The Astros have a losing record in late July and that’s not where anyone expected them to be. But without Alvarez, they’d probably be looking at a sell-off instead of a playoff push.
He’s 28. Right in his prime. And he’s playing like a guy who’s tired of losing.
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