After a first month of the season that went off the rails for the Houston Astros, in which they compiled a 12-20 record for March and April behind a pitching staff that had a gargantuan 6.08 ERA, things have steadied a bit for our hometown team.
May was better, with a 15-14 record and a pitching staff with a sub-4.00 ERA, and June is off to a decent enough start with a series win over the Athletics over the weekend. In a very mediocre AL West, the Astros remain within shouting distance, and in an American League overall in which a .500 record might secure a wild card spot, the season is very salvageable.
Amidst the ups and downs, the one constant has been designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, who is flirting with an American League Triple Crown, as he is among the league leaders in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. Last week was another legendary one for Alvarez, and as a result, he was named the American League Player of the Week for the week of June 1 through June 7. Alvarez earned the award by hitting .476 on the week, with two home runs and nine runs batted in, to go with a 1.386 OPS.
A few thoughts on Alvarez’s latest accomplishment, and where the Astros’ best player’s 2026 season is headed:
This is Yordan’s third piece of hardware he’s secured this season
Alvarez has returned from his injury plagued 2025, in which he only played in 48 games total, with a vengeance. We are not even to Father’s Day yet, and Alvarez already has two Player of the Week awards and one Player of the Month award. He’s on pace for well over 50 home runs, which is saying something since his career high for home runs in a season is 37. Injuries are the big thing that’s kept Alvarez from getting to that 40 or 50 home run mark, and that will be the key the rest of the way.
Amazingly, on a team that’s sub-.500, Alvarez is the MVP favorite
As mentioned above, the Astros have been hovering around the bottom of the American League standings this season, and yet Alvarez is the co-favorite currently to win the American League Most Valuable Player award, along with Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt, Jr. (who the Astros will face this weekend in Kansas City). It’s a testament to the crazy numbers Alvarez has generated this season that he is considered a frontrunner for the award, given how that award typically goes to a productive player on a GOOD team. Thus far, in 2026, the Astros are, in fact, NOT a good baseball team.
If you think there is a fire sale coming that involves Alvarez, think again
We may get to a point in this season, if the Astros remain a losing outfit, that Alvarez’s chase for the MVP award may be the main reason to buy tickets to an Astros game. If you’re concerned, however, that the Astros might be inclined to trade Alvarez for a bevy of young, hotshot prospects, their general manager Dana Brown says “fear not.” Brown told the media on Monday before their win over the Angels, “We’ve had zero conversations internally about moving Yordan. Zero.”
