Yordan Alvarez Reminded Astros Fans of Why They Love Him

Yordan Alvarez had a forgettable 2025 season for the Houston Astros. He’s already given them two moments to remember this season.

The latest was in Friday’s 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. It was Houston’s second straight loss to start the season. Not an ideal start. But Houston fans can’t put that on the slugger as he hit his first home run of the season.

It was just a remember to Astros fans why they love Alvarez so much.

Yordan Alvarez’s First Home Run

Yor-gone. #ChaseTheFight pic.twitter.com/F6jmDmbA5O
— Houston Astros (@astros) March 28, 2026

Alvarez slammed the home run in the fifth inning, a solo shot off Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi, who played for Houston in 2024 after a trade. Alvarez slammed an 85.1 mph slider low in the zone 378 feet for the home run.

He finished the game with a .143 batting average after the first two games. But one could argue that he should have had his first home run in the opener. That’s the other moment to remember.

Alvarez hit a long shot in his first at-bat on opening day, and it was so high that it ended up hitting the roof at Daikin Park. One could argue that the shot would have been a home run had it not hit the roof. Unlike Tropicana Field, where there are rules if the baseball hits certain catwalks inside the roof of the park, this ball was ruled foul. He later struck out on a foul tip.

The Daikin Park roof took a potential home run away from Yordan Alvarez pic.twitter.com/9ECK49DFK1
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 26, 2026

It was a memorable foul ball if nothing else.

But that’s two big swings for Alvarez in two games and those are the kind of swings Houston needs from their three-time All-Star if they want to return to the playoffs after a one-year absence. For a player with a 162-game average of 41 home runs, those were just reminders of his value to the lineup and how lost last season was for him.

He played in just 48 games and slashed .273/.367/.430 with six home runs and 27 RBI. He was placed on the injured list in May with right hand inflammation and was close to returning when he had a setback which led to discovering a small fracture in the hand. He did return in late August but ended up on the IL again in September with a left ankle sprain.

When he’s healthy and on, there are few hitters better in the Majors. He was the American League rookie of the year in 2019, and he had his most productive season in 2022 when Houston won the World Series for the second time in franchise history. That year he slashed .306/.406/.613 with 37 home runs and 97 RBI. It was the second of four straight seasons in which he hit at least 30 home runs.

No wonder why Houston wants to keep him in the DH slot as much as possible. His bat is essential to the Astros’ success. Friday’s home run was a reminder.