Despite Receiving Votes, Astros Slugger Needs a Strong Finish for MVP Award

The Houston Astros have continued to play great baseball over the past few weeks, going 7-3 in their last 10 games. They currently have a half-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the American League West, a promising sign as they look to win the division again.

With all of the injuries this team has dealt with, it's been a team effort for the Astros. They'll have to continue playing this way for the rest of the season, but it's been impressive that they've been able to pick up some of the slack left behind due to injuries.

Not only has their starting rotation been killed by injuries, but Kyle Tucker and others in the lineup have missed parts of the year.

Not having Tucker, who might be the best hitter in the lineup, doesn't make things easier for Houston's hitters. If anything, it just goes to show how talented this offense truly is that they can still swing the bat at this level without him protecting them.

Yordan Alvarez has really stepped up, which might be unfair to say, considering he's been one of the top hitters in the game for much of his career. Throughout the past four seasons, there haven't been many more consistent hitters in the league. He's posted a 136, 188, 170, and 168 OPS+ in each of the past four campaigns, ridiculous numbers for the left-handed slugger.

But what he's doing in 2024 might be more impressive than what he's ever done in his career. Sure, the 2022 season, when he hit 37 home runs and had an OPS above .1.000, was impressive, but he's currently slashing .308/.395/.562 with 25 home runs, 28 doubles, 64 RBI, and has only struck out 73 times in 422 at-bats. That's without Tucker for the bulk of games.

Due to how well he's played, he's receiving votes in the American League MVP poll. MLB.com released their MVP poll, with Alvarez missing the top five but receiving votes.

It's tough to get in the top five due to how well some of the other players around baseball have played. Aaron Judge looks poised to win the second MVP of his career, and Bobby Witt Jr. has been incredible on both sides of the ball.

However, Alvarez has earned the respect of being considered a candidate this late in the year, showing how good he's been.

The chances of him winning the MVP don't seem too high, but if the Astros star continues to swing the bat this way and the team goes on an impressive stretch in the last month and a half, crazier things have happened.

He'll likely have to hit 45-plus home runs, which won't be easy, but when he's locked in, there's no telling just how much damage he can do.