Yordan Álvarez is the best offensive player for the Houston Astros

October 11, 2022

Cuban batter Yordan Álvarez was named the best player of the 2022 season by the Houston Astros. The "orange ones" got phenomenal performances this season from both their veteran superstar José Altuve and their young prospect Yordan Álvarez, but ultimately they went with the Cuban.

Yordan Álvarez has proven to be the most fearsome batter in the American League who is not named Judge or Trout. José Altuve has had an incredible second half and is in the midst of one of the best seasons of his Hall of Fame-caliber career.

Álvarez is the best pure hitter, especially in terms of power. The numbers clearly confirm it. While he and Altuve have similar batting averages and on-base skills, Álvarez records many more extra-base hits.

Altuve: .298/.387/.531, 28 HR, 100 R, 57 RBI, 162 wRC+
Álvarez: .304/.407/.614, 37 HR, 92 R, 96 RBI, 184 wRC+

According to FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement, the two have had nearly identical seasons. Currently, they each have 6.3 fWAR, making them the two best position players in the American League after Judge.

Yordan Álvarez, according to MLB
According to the official MLB website, Álvarez, a 2022 All-Star who won this award for the first time, was an offensive force this season, ranking second in the American League in OPS, slugging, and on-base percentage, while ranking third in home runs and tied for fifth in RBIs.

He was named American League Player of the Month in June after batting .418 in 23 games with nine home runs and 28 RBIs.

On a personal note, at the end of August the Cuban received a greater reward. For the first time, his father Agustín Eduardo Álvarez Salazar, his mother Mailyn Cadogan Reyes, and his brother Yonder Álvarez Cadogan, saw him play live in the United States.

In the first inning, when Álvarez stepped into the batter's box, his family stood out in the stands. Even his mother was moved to tears. It was evident that everyone was proud to see him play with the Astros.