Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez does his best Giancarlo Stanton impression with 116 MPH HR
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Things have not started off well for the Houston Astros (3-6), but star slugger Yordan Alvarez is right on schedule for an MVP-caliber season. He launched his third home run of the year- a grand slam at that- and in doing so made history that only one other man could also boast.
“Yordan Alvarez hit his 3rd career grand slam this afternoon; it had an 116.0 mph exit {velocity},” as tweeted out ESPN Stats & Info. “It’s the 2nd-hardest hit HR this season and 2nd-hardest hit grand slam in the Statcast Era. He trails only Giancarlo Stanton in both.”
Stanton’s tenure with the New York Yankees has been a mixed bag to say the least, but he is great company to be in as far as sheer power is concerned. He is one of the best home run hitters of his era, and maybe Alvarez could soon say the same for his generation. He blasted 37 long balls last season and could realistically top that in his age-25 season (turns 26 in June).
What is even more impressive is Alvarez has also sported a .300-plus batting average over the last year. If he continues to display that type of offensive excellence, even Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani might not be able to stand in the left fielder’s way of winning the 2023 American League MVP.
Yordan Alvarez can’t carry the Astros on his own, though. Despite the game-tying grand slam, the team fell in Minnesota, 9-6, to drop another series. If anyone has earned the benefit of the doubt, it’s Dusty Baker’s club. But the reigning World Series Champions still have several weeks to go before Jose Altuve returns from the IL.
Alvarez’s presence in the lineup should keep fans’ spirits and optimism pretty high, though.
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