[Sport] Astros' Yordan Álvarez might be 'the best hitter in the league.' The only question is health

[[~OMAR~]]

 

ANAHEIM, Calif. — When the longest hitting streak of MLB's young season came to a conclusion late last month, Astros infielder Mauricio Dubón came to one as well. 

In a World Series rematch between Houston and Philadelphia on April 28, Dubón swung through an 0-2, 98 mph sinker from Phillies closer Josè Alvarado and retreated to the dugout befuddled. He was incredulous — not because his 20-game hit streak had ended but because, after seeing how filthy Alvarado's stuff was up close, he couldn't fathom how Yordan Álvarez accomplished what he did on baseball's biggest stage five months prior.

 

"I came in and told him, ‘Bro, how the hell did you take this guy deep 450 feet to win a World Series?" Dubón recalled. 

It was then that Dubón felt, with certainty, that Álvarez is the best hitter in baseball. 

 

The title is a mighty one, particularly after a season in which reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge launched more than 60 home runs, but it's not ludicrous considering Álvarez's growing list of accomplishments. And it's one that Dubón stands by without a sliver of doubt. 

 

"Oh no, I know," Dubón said emphatically. "I've seen a lot of guys come in that we've played against, and he's the best hitter in the league. Watching him in clutch situations, he's [even] more dangerous with runners on base. I think I stop running just because of that — because I know I'm in scoring position at first base."

Indeed, as overpowering as Álvarez has been since bursting onto the scene as the AL Rookie of the Year in 2019, he has been even better with a chance to bring runners home. 

For his career, Álvarez sports a 1.048 OPS with runners in scoring position. His OPS is also north of 1.000 in high-leverage at-bats. Since entering the league, Álvarez boasts the highest wRC+ and slugging percentage with runners in scoring position among all qualified major-league batters. 

 

Last year, while Judge led the majors in OPS, wRC+, wOBA and win probability added as the clear-cut best hitter on the planet, Álvarez sat directly behind the Yankees masher in each of those categories. The Astros slugger slashed .306/.406/.613 with 37 homers while battling through hand issues for much of the season. 

 

"I've been in this game for a lot of years as a player and as a coach, and he's one of the best hitters I've ever seen," Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron said, calling Álvarez one of the top two hitters in the league today. "I have a lot of respect for a lot of other guys, but he's amazing. This guy can hit for power, hit for average, hit lefties, righties, and he's clutch."

Álvarez's career .970 OPS includes nearly identical marks against righties (.973) and lefties (.966) and a powerful stroke with few moving parts. Teammate Alex Bregman marvels at the balance in Álvarez's swing, which has helped him hit to all fields for a high average while still ranking among the league leaders in hard-hit rate. 

 

[https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/astros-yordan-alvarez-might-be-the-best-hitter-in-the-league-the-only-question-is-health]