Historic Season Thrusts Yordan Alvarez Into Company with Baseball Legends

It's no secret that Yordan Alvarez has been a nightmare opponent for any pitcher this season.

Entering Friday's slate, Alvarez leads the majors in homers (35), batting average (.329), and the American League in RBI (85), just three behind CJ Abrams for the MLB lead. His insane season has set him up well to join four Hall of Famers who have won the MLB Triple Crown.

MLB.com writer Brent Maguire discovered the feat hasn't been accomplished since Mickey Mantle in 1956. It's been 70 years, and Alvarez has a chance to join them. With just under two months remaining in the season, Alvarez has a long way to go, but there's hope he remains in the lead.

He's just two homers ahead of Junior Caminero, Hunter Goodman, and Kyle Schwarber, who each have 33 big flies. While each of these power hitters has boasted phenomenal seasons, Schwarber is the biggest threat of the group. He led the majors in homers most of the season before the All-Star break, but has fallen off big time since.

Yordan Alvarez's Historic Season has Placed him With Hall of Famers

Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On the other hand, Alvarez is getting hot at the perfect time. He's batting .421 in August after posting a .360 average in July with an other-worldly 1.188 OPS.

Alvarez is perfectly positioned in the lineup for the RBI lead. The Astros slugger has batted second in 103 of his 114 games this season, which has turned into a prime run-producing spot. The RBI leader, Abrams, primarily bats cleanup, which gives him fewer opportunities to hit over time. This small difference is a big reason Alvarez has the ninth most plate appearances in the league, compared to Abram's 33rd most.

If Alvarez winds up edging out the competition for the MLB Triple Crown, he'll have to thank Joe Espada for putting him in a prime position to drive in runs behind the on-base machine named Jeremy Pena.

There is plenty of season left to go, but winning the triple crown would cement Alvarez as an all-time great. The last winner of this illustrious title was Miguel Cabrera during his incredible 2012 season. 44 homers got the job done over a decade ago, but Alvarez will likely need more to cement himself into history.

Nelson Cruz, in 2014, was the last season the MLB home run champion hit fewer than 44 big flies. Just two shy of his career high, Alvarez is poised to break down the doors of history this year and become the first MLB Triple Crown winner in seven decades. A lot can happen with plenty of season remaining, but regardless, Alvarez is the protagonist in the Astros return to relevancy.

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