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Astros' Yordan Alvarez Leaves Baseball in Awe After Huge First Inning

The first inning in Kansas City was something players have maybe dreamt of, but would never have guessed it was actually possible.
Maddy Dickens|
Jun 7, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) smiles while running to first base on a single during the first inning against the Athletics at Daikin Park.
Jun 7, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) smiles while running to first base on a single during the first inning against the Athletics at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Houston Astros

There isn't enough time in the day or space on the page to paint the picture of what Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez has done this season. But there's no sign of cooling off.

That's a scary thought considering how good he has already been this season. But on Friday he raised the bar. What he did in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals might not happen in baseball for a long time.

The Astros were in Kansas City and Luinder Avila was on the mound for the Royals. His night was going to end before the first inning came to a close. It started with a leadoff single by Houston's Jeremy Pena and that was followed by a moonshot from Alvarez.

So, what? The Astros take a 2-0 lead. Most nights, that would be more than enough. It would be the only home run Avila gave up to Alvarez. But it wouldn't be the only home run the Royals allowed to Alvarez in that inning.

Later in the inning, Alvarez came to home plate with the bases loaded and sent another ball out of Kauffman Stadium, this time off reliever Mason Black.

It didn't matter who was pitching to him. The Royals would have been better off to intentionally walk him, even if it would have scored a run in what became the Astros' 10-8 win over the Royals.

According to OptaStats, a database that tracks statistics across multiple professional sports, Alvarez became the first player in MLB history to have multiple home runs, a grand slam, and six RBI in the first inning of a game.

To add to that, per MLB.com, he became the third player ever for the Astros, and the first in more than three decades, to hit multiple homers in a single inning, joining Lee May (1974) and Jeff Bagwell (1994).

What a night in Missouri.

Alvarez Continues to Dominate This Season

Yordan Alvarez hits a baseball in a white Astros jerse
Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) hits a home run during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It is hard to even fathom how much that Alvarez is producing without looking at the numbers up close and personal:

*Note* These rankings are amongst all positions in either the American or National League.

  • 24 Home Runs- 1st/2nd
  • 54 RBI- 3rd
  • 46 Drawn Walks- 6th/7th/8th
  • 81 Hits- 4th
  • .321 Batting Average- 6th
  • .433 On-Base Percentage- 2nd
  • .659 Slugging Percentage- 1st
  • 1.092 OPS- 1st

Alvarez isn't doing it quietly, but he is definitely constructing an MVP type of season.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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