Yordán Álvarez set a new personal record this Sunday by hitting his 38th home run of the 2026 season, surpassing the record he had set in 2022 with 37 home runs.
The Cuban slugger of the Houston Astros not only redefined his own offensive ceiling, but also keeps his aspirations for the American League Triple Crown alive with a batting average of .317 and 95 runs batted in.
The race for that award, however, is far from being decided. In home runs, Álvarez is tied with Junior Caminero, the young Dominican from the Tampa Bay Rays who has also hit 38 home runs so far this season.
In home runs, the advantage of the Cuban is minimal: just one home run over Pete Alonso, the first baseman for the New York Mets, who has 94 compared to Álvarez's 95.
The Triple Crown —leading the league simultaneously in batting average, home runs, and RBIs at the end of the regular season— is one of the most elusive individual achievements in baseball. The last player to achieve it in the American League was Miguel Cabrera in 2012, and Álvarez aims to become the first since then.
The Cuban player's season has been outstanding since the start. By April, he had already accumulated 10 home runs and was leading Major League Baseball in that category, and by mid-July, he had a .324 batting average, 33 home runs, and 75 RBIs.
At the beginning of August, Álvarez was leading the American League with a .330 batting average, 35 home runs, and 84 RBIs, solidifying his position as the most serious candidate for the league MVP.
His complete offensive line in 2026 — .315/.432/.618 — places him among the most dangerous hitters of the season, with over 500 at-bats and just one stolen base.
With weeks of the regular season ahead, Álvarez also has the possibility of closing in on the franchise's historic home run record for Houston, which belongs to Jeff Bagwell with 47, set in 2000. The Cuban is nine home runs away from that mark.
"Yordan holds onto hopes of a Triple Crown with a .317 batting average, though he is being chased in home runs (38, tied with Junior Caminero) and RBIs (95, just ahead of Pete Alonso)," summarized journalist Francys Romero while reporting on the new personal record of the player from Tunero.
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