Sports
Corentin Tolisso reveals ‘disappointment’ at omission from France squad
Corentin Tolisso shares disappointment over not making France squad
Yahoo Sports1 min read
MLBRecap
Alvarez on Historic Tear; Even as Houston Falls to Last Place in AL West
TL;DR
The Houston Astros are struggling at the bottom of the AL West with a 10-18 record despite having one of the best offenses in MLB. Yordan Alvarez stands out as a key performer amid the team's disappointing season.
Key points
- Houston Astros are last in AL West with a 10-18 record
- Astros have one of the best offenses in MLB
- Yordan Alvarez is the standout performer for the team
- Astros rank sixth in home runs and fifth in batting average
- Poor pitching has contributed to the team's struggles
Houston AstrosYordan AlvarezAmerican League
Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
The Houston Astros have had a rough go of things lately. After surging into first place to start the year, they’re now in dead last in the American League West with a 10-18 record. Despite a ridiculously good offense, their pitching has lost them games again and again.
As a matter of fact, their offense has been one of the best (if not the best) in MLB. The club is sixth in home runs (35), fifth in batting average (.259), fourth in RBIs (136), slugging percentage (.436) and OPS (.782), and third in on-base percentage (.346). It’s been an historic letdown for Astros’ fans that an offense this good has barely scratched 10 wins across the board.
But the crown jewel of that Houston offense — the one hope that fans have been able to cling to — has been the performance of Yordan Alvarez. And, oh my gosh, has he been good.
The Picture Painted by Metrics
Alvarez has gotten off to a crazy start to 2026. The 28-year-old slugger has been on a tear, leading MLB in home runs with 11 through 28 games. As a matter of fact, Alvarez leads MLB in every significant hitting statistic (expect for second place in slugging percentage) with a .353/.464/.755 slash line and an earth-shattering 1.219 OPS.
The craziest part? The expected metrics are even better. His xwOBA (.556), xBA (.381) and xSLG (.871) are all in the 100th percentile of MLB hitters. That means that Alvarez is hitting worse than he should be, and he’s still the best offensive player in the league. No one can do what he’s doing right now.
Batting run value is a Statcast metric that assigns a run impact to every pitch, hit or plate appearance based on its outcome. A positive number indicates above average production whereas a negative number would be below-average. It’s a summative total of the entire season.
For reference, in 2022 when New York Yankee broke the American League record for home runs with 62, he put up a whopping +90 BRV. Alvarez is on pace for a whopping +118 BRV.
Q&A
What is Yordan Alvarez's current performance in the MLB?
Yordan Alvarez has been exceptional, serving as the standout player in an otherwise struggling Houston Astros offense.
Why are the Houston Astros in last place in the AL West?
The Astros are in last place due to poor pitching, despite having one of the best offensive records in MLB.
How does the Astros' offense rank in the MLB?
The Astros rank sixth in home runs, fifth in batting average, fourth in RBIs, and third in on-base percentage.
What is the Astros' current record in the AL West?
The Houston Astros currently have a record of 10-18 in the American League West.
