Yordan Alvarez, a rookie outfielder with the Houston Astros, is a runaway favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year while hitting .326 with 27 home runs and 77 RBI. And he compiled all those impressive slugging stats in only 82 games.
If Alvarez kept up his torrid pace for an entire season, he’d hit over 50 home runs with 150 RBI.
Yordan Alvarez, 22, initially signed an international contract with the LA Dodgers back in 2016. The Dodgers traded the young Cuban prospect to the Houston Astros. Once within the Astros organization, Alvarez rapidly ascended through their minor league system.
Alvarez did not make the big league squad after a solid 2019 Spring Training. The Astros sent him to AAA to play for the Round Rock Express in the Pacific Coast League. Alvarez tore up the PCL hitting .343 with 23 home runs before he finally got a call up to the Show when a couple of key Astros went down with injuries including George Springer.
With the Houston Astros the top favorite to win the 2019 World Series, more fans will get an opportunity to watch Alvarez play on a big stage during the upcoming postseason.
Rookie of the Year Alvarez Smashing
Yordan Alvarez kicked off his MLB career with a bang. The rookie homered in four out of his first five games of his career. In only 16 games of action in June, Alvarez hit over .317 with 7 homers with 21 RBI.
“He’s having an enormous impact for us, that goes without saying,” said Astros manager AJ Hinch. “It’s been very impressive to watch him methodically go about his business as a much more experienced player than he is.”
During the month of August, Alvarez obliterated the ball with nine homers and 26 RBI.
Alvarez currently hit in 12 of his last 14 games to move his average to .326. In his last seven games, Alvarez hit .435 with three home runs.
Alvarez is currently slashing at .326/.422./.681. He smacked 25 doubles in addition to 27 home runs. Opposing pitchers cannot figure a consistent way to get him out.
“He’s like a rookie inside a veteran’s body,” said teammate Jack Mayfield. “He’s a monster up there. The pitchers know what he’s got already, and he’s still getting all those hits and homers and everything.”
With monstrous stats for a rookie who didn’t play his first game until early June, Yordan Alvarez has the AL Rookie of the Year locked up. Meanwhile, out in the National League, NY Mets rookie 1B Pete Alonso passed 50 home runs and he’s also a lock for NL Rookie of the Year.
Last season, LA Angeles two-way player Shohei Ohtani beat out Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar for the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year.