# Yordan Álvarez Chases the American League Triple Crown in the Final Stretch of 2026

**Date:** 09/18/2026

Cuban designated hitter Yordan Álvarez of the Houston Astros enters the closing weeks of the 2026 season as the leading contender for the American League Triple Crown — a feat last achieved in the majors by Miguel Cabrera in 2012. By mid-September he led the AL in batting average at .310.


In home runs he sat second with 38, two behind Dominican Junior Caminero (40) of the Tampa Bay Rays. His 96 RBIs trailed leader Pete Alonso's 100 by four. Diario Libre noted on September 18 that Caminero is the main threat in the home-run race, while oddsmakers still favored Álvarez in the AL MVP chase.


Álvarez, born in Las Tunas in 1997 and AL Rookie of the Year in 2019, had already set a career-high 38 homers in a single season earlier in September. His simultaneous push for average, power and run production is one of baseball's central storylines down the stretch.