Yordan Álvarez Hits 35th Home Run, Becomes Sole MLB Home Run Leader

Foto: Wikimedia Commons / Flickr user thatlostdog (CC BY 2.0)

August 1, 2026

Cuban designated hitter Yordan Álvarez hit his 35th home run of the season on Tuesday, July 29, 2026, in the Houston Astros' 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels, a result that put him alone atop MLB's home run leaderboard. The Las Tunas native finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs and delivered a decisive two-out single in the ninth inning that sealed the victory for his team.

The home run came just eight days after Álvarez tied the MLB home run lead at 33, hitting two homers against the Miami Marlins on July 21. With the latest blast, the Cuban slugger extended his edge as the leading contender for the 2026 American League home run title.

Álvarez is also in the middle of a standout stretch at the plate: over his last 14 games he is batting .429 with six home runs, four doubles and 13 RBIs, numbers that keep him among the top contenders for this season's American League MVP award.

Álvarez, who debuted in the majors in 2019 and was named American League Rookie of the Year that same season, has established himself as one of the most prominent Cuban stars in contemporary baseball. He was named to the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia this year alongside six other Cuban players.

Fuente: MLB.com; CBS Sports

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Yordan Álvarez is a Cuban baseball player born on June 27, 1997, in Las Tunas, Cuba. He primarily plays as a left fielder and designated hitter. After beginning his career in Cuba with the Leñadores de Las Tunas, he left the island in search of an opportunity in Major League Baseball and later signed to play professionally in the United States.