Houston Astros Star is Best Hitter in Baseball, Better Than Trout
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The American League MVP likely isn't going to go to Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez. With the way Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani and New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge are playing, it's going to come down to one of those two again.
But take a small step back and you'll see that Alvarez is the best hitter.
Let's clarify: he's the best complete hitter in baseball.
Thankfully, it's not a winding complicated journey. The 25-year-old doesn't have any big accomplishments (yet) to his name but those aren't far off. Alvarez ranks third in OPS+ with a 164 mark since his debut in 2019.
Want to guess the two guys he trails? Judge and Trout.
In the current season, as of May 23, Alvarez, Judge, and St. Louis Cardinals Nolan Gorman all have a slugging percentage above .600. Adding another fun fact about Alvarez, he's one of 17 players since 2010 with 100 home runs before his 26th birthday.
The statistics still speak for themselves. He's hitting .305/.399/.616 with 12 home runs and 46 runs batted in during 178 plate appearances. Alvarez is likely going to have another .300/.400/.600 season if he trends in the current direction.
Take Monday night when Alvarez hit two home runs in his team's 12-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The first came as a solo homer in the top of the fifth off Corbin Burnes. Then in the sixth inning, he drilled the pitch from Milwaukee reliever Hoby Milner clear over the left-field wall for a grand slam.
The game marked the third time in his career that Alvarez homered in back-to-back innings.
He's going to do some damage. Lefties and righties are not exactly going to pose challenges for Alvarez no matter where he sits in the lineup. There's a lot the young batter can do and if his early returns are an indication, he will find himself Cooperstown-bound one day. For now, he'll be an asset to get Houston back into the postseason and the World Series.
So here's issuing a warning for future pitchers: when the Cuban slugger comes to the plate, there’s not an opposing man on the mound, a certain pitch, or really any kind of strategy that helps.
Be ready and stay ready because Alvarez isn't one to take lightly.
He's ushering in a new era of baseball, one in which he very well may become the next Mike Trout. A legend he is outpacing by nearly every metric this season.
It'd going to be a fun ride.
More From SI's Inside The Astros:
- Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Houston Astros?
- Mariners Fans Inexplicably Outraged Following Houston Astros' Social Media Post About Sweep
- Report: Former Astros Pitcher Fiers' Contract Terminated By CPBL Club
- Six Houston Astros Declared Free Agents
- Watch: Yordan Álvarez's Home Run Wins Astros World Series
- Lucas Giolito Claims All Teams Were Cheating in 2017
- Dusty Baker Makes His Thoughts Known on Bonds and Judge Records
- Is it Time to Move on From the Houston Astros Cheating Scandal?
- Is There Any Hope for an Aging Yuli Gurriel?
- Astros' Álvarez Stopped Striking Out and Became the Best Hitter in Baseball
