Alvarez named Astros MVP by Houston BBWAA
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HOUSTON -- Yordan Alvarez, who hit .306/.406/.613 with 37 home runs and 97 RBIs this year, and starting pitcher Justin Verlander, who went 18-4 and posted a career-best 1.75 ERA, were named Astros Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, by the Houston chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
In addition, shortstop Jeremy Peña was named the club’s 2022 Rookie of the Year, catcher Martín Maldonado was named the Darryl Kile Good Guy of the Year and long-time Astros employee Marian Harper, who’s currently vice president of foundation development, won the Fred Hartman Long and Meritorious Service Award.
Alvarez, a 2022 All-Star who is a first-time winner of this award, was an offensive force this season, ranking second in the American League in OPS, slugging and on-base percentage while ranking third in home runs and tied for fifth in RBIs. He was named AL Player of the Month in June after hitting .418 in 23 games with nine homers and 28 RBIs.
Verlander, who missed the 2021 season following Tommy John surgery, is a three-time Astros Pitcher of the Year (2018, ’19, ’22) winner. He made 28 starts and led the AL in WHIP (0.83), opponents’ average (.186) and opponents’ OPS (.497). He became the 10th known pitcher to come back from Tommy John surgery after undergoing the procedure at 37 years of age or older. His 1.75 ERA led MLB.
• Postseason ticket information
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Peña took over for Carlos Correa at shortstop and hit .253 with 22 home runs, 63 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He tied Correa’s rookie record for most homers by a shortstop in franchise history. Among MLB rookies, Peña ranked second in home runs, fourth in hits (132) and fifth in runs scored (72) and RBIs (63).
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Maldonado was lauded for his consistent cooperation with the media during a season in which the Astros had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. Maldonado routinely provided meaningful insight on Houston’s pitching after games.
Harper manages many of the community outreach programs for the Astros Foundation, including the development of the Astros MLB Youth Academy. In 2007, she was honored with the Jimmy Wynn Toy Cannon Award for exceptional community service at the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame. She is also a member of the Astros Hall of Fame selection committee and works closely with Astros alumni.