Astros Star is Slumping Badly After Stellar Start to 2026 Season

A sensational April has given way to a disastrous May for this Houston Astros slugger.

Houston Astros hat and glove | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The start of the 2026 MLB season has been one that the Houston Astros would probably like to forget. Injuries have contributed to a 16-26 start that has the club sitting in the basement of the American League West, while pitching woes have left them with a league-worst 5.50 ERA through 42 games.

One notable silver lining amidst those struggles has been the MVP-caliber play of start slugger Yordan Alvarez - at least up until now. Ever since winning AL Player of the Month honors for March/April, the 28-year-old's offensive production has taken a nosedive.

Alvarez Has Been Woeful in May

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

By the time the first full month of the season had wrapped up, Alvarez had slashed .356/.462/.737 while hitting 12 home runs (a franchise record for March/April) and 27 RBI. He even generated some MVP buzz despite the fact that his team carried a meager 12-20 record through the month.

As soon as the calendar flipped to May, however, things took a turn for Alvarez. Beginning with an 0-for-10 slump, he has slashed a mere .184/.262/.289 with just one home run and two RBI in 10 games. The Cuba native has collected two extra-base hits this month, compared to 21 in April, and has walked only three times this month (he took 21 base on balls last month).

One area that Alvarez is outpacing his April production is in the strikeout department. May has already yielded 15 strikeouts after he whiffed only 14 times through 32 games across March and April.

May was not kind to Alvarez in 2025 either, albeit for very different reasons. He was placed on the injured list with right-hand inflammation after seeing action in just one May game before the discovery of a small fracture in the same hand kept him sidelined through to late August. He would ultimately play in just 48 games all season.

Alvarez's slump likely has little bearing on the Astros' already-bleak playoff hopes. It could, however, be bad news for the three-time All-Star and 2021 ALCS MVP's potential trade value.

Alvarez still has two more years remaining on the six-year, $115 million contract extension he signed in 2022, so there is no rush to make a decision on the future of the eight-year veteran. But if Houston GM Dana Brown and the front office elect to initiate a rebuild, it would be wise to entertain a trade of their superstar slugger while he still carries peak value.

While Alvarez is reportedly not on the market at the moment, USA Today's Bob Nightengale has reported that at least one anonymous executive feels that the Astros would "get a better package than what the Nationals got for Juan Soto." That would be the type of franchise-altering trade that Houston would have to consider - if Alvarez can get back to producing, that is.

Even on a team that is out of the playoff picture, the recent struggles of Alvarez are problematic. While there is hope that he can snap out of his sump and get back to March/April production levels, his recent slide represents yet another disappointing development in what has been a frustrating season to date for the Astros.