Alvarez earns 4th All-Star nod, set to be AL’s starting DH

HOUSTON -- The Astros’ lone All-Star representative in 2026 is no surprise.

Slugger Yordan Alvarez, who entered play Saturday leading the Major Leagues in OPS and total bases and leading the American League in homers and extra-base hits, was voted as the starter at designated hitter for the AL in the July 14 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. This is Alvarez’s fourth All-Star selection.

“I’m very happy,” Alvarez said. “I think it’s every player’s dream to be in the All-Star Game. I think it’s a beautiful experience to be able to start the All-Star Game.”

The Astros celebrated and congratulated Alvarez in the clubhouse a couple of hours prior to Saturday’s game against the Rays at Daikin Park. He was slashing .319/.431/.625 with 27 home runs and 61 RBIs entering Saturday and is making a run at the AL Triple Crown. He was also second in the AL in batting average and RBIs.

“Yordan is so shy and he doesn’t want any recognition,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We told him not only what he means to the organization as a baseball player and what you guys see on the baseball field, but also as a teammate. He’s a good father, good husband, good guy to be around. We took the time to celebrate with him.”

Yordan Alvarez, DH
Previous All-Star appearances: 3 (2022, ‘23, ‘24)
Something to know: Alvarez hit three grand slams in June, giving him seven for his career. That’s tied with Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Carlos Lee for the most in Astros history.

Alvarez remains on pace to threaten Jeff Bagwell’s club record of 47 homers set in 2000. No Astros player has hit 40 homers since Alex Bregman (41) in 2019. Alvarez also has a chance to become the first Astros player to lead the league -- NL or AL -- in home runs.

“This is probably the best first half of a position player in the Major Leagues,” Espada said. “The game has evolved and it has become more difficult to hit now than when I first started coaching. How consistent and good he is, sometimes you scratch your head and wonder how he makes it look this easy. That's how good he is.”

Being a power hitter is just the tip of the iceberg for Alvarez, whose knowledge of his body, his swing, hitting mechanics and how opposing pitchers are attacking him are what makes him an elite hitter as much as his hard-hit percentage. He’s so much more than just one of the game’s best sluggers.

Just ask teammate Christian Walker.

“Earlier in my career, you see a guy like him, and you can easily put them in a category of the freaks, right? The elite of the elite. They were just born to hit. That's always who he was,” Walker said of Alvarez. “And then you start talking to guys and you start talking to him and he's quiet, but there's so much in there that like he's so aware of hitting in the situations and how pitchers are pitching him that it becomes obvious really fast that how on purpose all of this is.

“He is calculated. He knows how to call pitches with pitchers. He knows how catchers like to call pitches. And then he knows what he does really well. I think that's a dangerous combo, on top of a great talent.”

Last year, Alvarez missed 100 games while recovering from a broken bone in his right hand, but he slashed .369/.462/.569 with three homers and nine RBIs in 19 games after returning to the lineup Aug. 26. With the Astros pushing for a playoff spot, Alvarez suffered a left ankle sprain when he slipped on home plate Sept. 15 against the Rangers.

There was some hope he could come back at the end of the regular season, but the injury proved to be too serious and the Astros missed the playoffs by one game. His performance this year leaves little doubt the Astros would have made the playoffs last year had he Alvarez been healthy.

“Other managers watch him in the on-deck circle,” Espada said. “He’s a threat and he’s not even in the batter’s box. That’s how good he is. The impact he has in our lineup, just having Yordan in there and the fact he’s going to have four or five opportunities that day to hit is game changing. He’s that good. He’s that big of a threat.”