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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 21: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros celebrates with third base coach Gary Pettis #8 after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 21, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez only has one mode when he’s on the field: elevate and celebrate. This year, it’s been as good as it gets for ‘Air Yordan.’ 

In 202 at-bats, the hit-first Alvarez already has 2.5 WAR. He accumulated it so quickly by smashing 20 home runs, recording a 1.085 OPS, and a 202 OPS+. 

There isn’t another hitter in baseball who can say they’re outright better than Alvarez when he’s healthy–and MLB fans are in awe of his talent. 

MLB World Reacts to Alvarez’s Home Run Rampage 

Here’s what people are saying: 

Just Baseball Media: “Yordan Alvarez’s last 3 games: 448-foot home run, 428-foot home run, 449-foot home run, 422-foot home run, 415-foot home run. He is unconscious right now.”

Baseball Performance: “Yordan Alvarez is making a case to overtake Aaron Judge as the best hitter in baseball. .312 AVG | 20 HR | 39 RBI | 1.085 OPS. All 20 of Yordan’s bombs this season.”

Foul Territory: “At this point, it’s time to start giving Yordan Alvarez the Barry Bonds treatment, says @JRedDubDeuce of @CrushCityShow.”

Tobey Schulman: “Yordan Alvarez shows zero signs of slowing down. Over his last 10 games: .917 OPS, 4 HR, 17.1% BB%, 151 wRC+, 94.5 AvgEV. Fresh off a multi-homer night, he remains the most feared hitter in Major League Baseball.”

Andrew DeCegile: “Yordan Alvarez is a top hitter in the world. Clubbed 2 HR tonight! 110 MPH EV and 448 FT 109.3 MPH EV and 428 Ft He has 5 HR in his last 3 games!”

Running From The OPS: “Yordan Alvarez is incredible: 241 PA, 19 HR, 11 2B, 14.5% BB%, 17.0% K%, .340 ISO, .305/.415/.645, 189 wRC+.”

Baseball Unstitched: “Yordan Alvarez goes DEAD CENTRAL to tie it. For the first time in his career, he’s faced Jacob deGrom. First time through, he got Yordan with 3 back-door sliders. Second time through, Yordan had seen it enough and got to one over the plate. GREAT HITTERS ADJUST.”

Daniel Meyer: “Despite enduring a nearly month-long slump, Yordan Alvarez is slashing .303/.414/.631 His 1.046 OPS leads MLB and he is on pace for 52 home runs. We are witnessing (and possibly wasting) one of the best individual seasons in Astros history.”

Sarah Langs: “Yordan Alvarez with his 20th homer in the Astros’ 57th game. That’s the fewest team games to 20 home runs in a season in Astros history.”

Astros May Trade Yordan Alvarez If Hard Times Persist

Houston Astros’ owner Jim Crane famously announced that as long as he was around, the “window would never close” for the team to compete.

Well, two months into 2026, the ‘Stros are 26-32 and have limped to their bland record.

Fueled by breakouts from Spencer Arrighetti and Cam Smith, Houston isn’t aimless; they lack firepower.

If you want one word to surmise the Astros downfall to this point, it’s probably ‘Ow.’

As of May 28th, Houston has 12 players on the injured list. Among them are impact players such as Josh Hader, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Yainer Diaz, Hunter Brown, Christian Javier, and Ronel Blanco. The team is hobbled, and it’s getting hard to ignore.

General manager Dana Brown has made it a habit to let go of star talent. A list of former Astros can be confused with a fantasy baseball team. If he wants to maintain Crane’s promise, 2026 might be the end of the Alvarez Era in Houston.