​The 2026 season for the Houston Astros has been unusual, starting with a disappointing stretch before July brought them within 1.5 games of the AL Wild Card with a 46-48 record. More importantly, they sit just 2.0 games back of the AL West lead, and it wouldn’t be shocking if they seized the division at some point. A key driver of this resurgence is Yordan Álvarez. ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle, who has called Álvarez the Astros’ “First-half MVP,” outlined two solid reasons why Álvarez has a genuine case to be the AL MVP and should be the frontrunner: the Astros’ comeback and Álvarez’s Triple Crown pursuit. “With the Astros charging back into playoff contention and Álvarez a real candidate to win a Triple Crown, his path to AL MVP seems clear,” Doolittle writes.
Álvarez has posted 3.9 WAR, 105 hits, 62 runs scored, 16 doubles, 29 home runs, 67 RBIs, a .313 batting average, and a 1.041 OPS through 92 games in the 2026 season so far. For the Triple Crown, he would need to lead all AL hitters in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. At the moment, his .313 batting average trails Yandy Díaz’s .319 by a margin, with Ernie Clement at .298 close behind. In home runs, Álvarez leads the league with 29, while Ben Rice and Junior Caminero are tied for second with 26 apiece. For RBIs, Álvarez has 67, just ahead of Nick Kurtz’s 66. If Álvarez can maintain his RBI and home-run lead and improve his batting average—or if Díaz encounters a slump that narrows the gap—then the Astros’ designated hitter could capture the Triple Crown this season.
Historically, a Triple Crown would bolster Álvarez’s MVP case; consider that Miguel Cabrera won the AL MVP in 2012’s Triple Crown year, and Álvarez could join that exclusive club if he achieves the feat this season. Furthermore, if the Astros secure a postseason berth, Álvarez would have an even clearer route to the AL MVP. The best hitter on a postseason-bound team is frequently the MVP, after all. Not only is Álvarez a legitimate MVP candidate as things stand, but if the Astros reach the playoffs and he wins the Triple Crown, he would be the favorite to claim the AL MVP this season.