Yordan Álvarez Named AL Player of the Month for March-April 2026

May 4, 2026

Cuban designated hitter Yordan Álvarez of the Houston Astros was named the American League Player of the Month for March-April 2026 by Major League Baseball on May 4, 2026, capping the most dominant start to a season of his career in the big leagues.

Over the 32 games played during that span, Álvarez batted a remarkable .356, collecting 42 hits in 118 at-bats. His performance included 12 home runs, 27 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 9 doubles and 21 walks, with an OPS of 1.199. The Las Tunas native led all of Major League Baseball in OPS, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, hits and total bases (87) over that period, while tying for first in home runs.

His numbers shattered multiple historical benchmarks for Cuban players over that stretch of the season. His 42 hits in March-April set a new record for Cuban hitters and stand as the second-best total in Astros history during that period, behind only Derek Bell's 45 in 1998. Similarly, his 12 home runs in March-April broke the previous Cuban record of 10, previously held by José Abreu (2014), José Canseco (1999), and Tony Pérez (1970).

Among his standout streaks were a 13-game hitting streak from April 14 to April 28 — a personal record and the longest in the American League this season — and a stretch of 34 consecutive at-bats without a strikeout from April 19 to April 28, during which he hit .382 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs. He also drove in 27 runs during March-April, matching his personal best set in 2023.

This award marks the third American League Player of the Month honor of Álvarez's career, following wins in June 2022 and September 2023. During April he also reached 700 games in the MLB with a career line of .298/.391/.580 and 177 home runs, cementing his status as one of the most feared hitters in the modern era.

The monthly award arrives a day after Álvarez hit his 12th home run of the year on April 30 — a solo shot to center field — closing the month with another MVP-caliber moment. At his current pace of 0.37 home runs per game, Álvarez projects to reach as many as 54 home runs in 2026, which would surpass the all-time Astros franchise record of 47 set by Jeff Bagwell in 2000. His AL MVP candidacy is already one of the strongest in the league this season.