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Astros’ Yordan Alvarez becomes 1st AL player in 2026 30 home run club
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- Astros’ Yordan Alvarez becomes 1st AL player in 2026 30 home run club
Astros' Yordan Alvarez becomes 1st AL player in 2026 30 home run club appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Houston Astros have not quite hit their stride in 2026, as they are stuck vying for position in the AL West in a three-way battle for first place. But that has not stopped Yordan Alvarez from hitting the cover off the baseball. Alvarez, who has been the Astros' most consistent slugger over the past half-decade or so, continues to be as productive as ever, which isn't surprising considering how he's right in the middle of his prime.
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On Friday night, Alvarez was once again right in the middle of the Astros' scoring efforts in a battle with the Texas Rangers . In the top of the sixth inning, with Houston's offense flatlining, Alvarez resuscitated the entire team with a towering home run to deep right field that reverberated through all of Globe Life Field.
He now has 30 dingers on the season, and this was the 200th long ball of his career, and for this season, the Astros slugger became the first player from the American League to cross the 30-home run mark.
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Since debuting for the Astros in 2019, all Alvarez has done is rake. He's now hit the 30-home run mark in five of his eight seasons in MLB, and he's in the middle of another elite campaign that is erasing memories of his injury-ravaged 2025 season.
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Last year was arguably the most difficult of Alvarez's career . He only suited up in 48 games, with his absence mostly stemming from a broken hand. The Astros star, however, is back with a bang, and he could be in for his most productive season yet, at least on the home run front.
He now has 30 home runs in just 94 games this year, putting him on pace for 51 home runs in 2026. This would blow his previous single-season high in the process (37, back in 2022). He's only trailing Kyle Schwarber (32 home runs) in the 2026 MLB home run leaderboard.
While this achievement may be fulfilling for Alvarez personally, he is surely going to be disappointed in the fact that the Astros lost their series-opener vs. the Rangers on Friday, 7-3, dropping them to 46-49 on the season.
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Related: Yordan Alvarez's 3-word take on playing whole career with Astros after trade rumors
