Yordan can hit.
Yordan Alvarez is 6’5″. 225 pounds. 25 years old. And the Astros have him locked down on a six-year contract covering 2023-2028 at a team-friendly $115 million. The bulk of the contract is over the final few years, giving the Astros plenty of wiggle room to throw some money bags at guys they want secure following the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Here’s how his contract plays out:
- $5mm signing bonus
- $7mm in 2023
- $10mm in 2024
- $15mm in 2025
- $26mm in 2026-2028
If the Cuban continues to produce at his current clip, and if this season’s numbers (post-surgery for both knees) are any indication, this is the biggest “bang for your buck” contract ever doodled up in my correct opinion.
Simply put, Yordan Alvarez is one of the hardest-hitting, most disciplined batters in Major League Baseball. All the power, barrels galore, high walk rate, and everyone’s favorite – the highest average exit velocity in The Show.
If he doesn’t top the charts in a category, he is at least in the 97th percentile in 8 of the 11 major metrics used to measure hitters while they are in the box.
Constant Success
Slugging 37 home runs and slashing .306/.406/.613 with a 1.019 OPS Yordan is a top-10 feared hitter in the American League, if not all of Major League Baseball. Pitchers hate to see that man waiting on deck. I have a theory that Alex Bregman – while extremely disciplined at the plate – owes a few walks to distracted pitchers sweating the large looming figure taking practice cuts in his peripheral vision.
Besides for Alvarez’s down month in August dealing with some hand discomfort, he mashed all year. In particular, he was seeing beach balls in June with 33 hits, 9 of them home runs, slashing .418/.510/.835 with an OPS of 1.346(!!!) in 22 games started earning him AL Player of the Month.
Yordan Alvarez’s 37 Home Runs by the Numbers
Pitch Type
14 on 4-seam fastballs, 12 on changeups, and 11 on sliders. Throw him whatever you want, and he will hit it out of the park. To all fields. Speaking of which…
Direction
He hit 5 oppo tacos, 18 pull side, and 14 straightaway center. The 14,989ft of home runs is a staggering 2,719.5 Altuves. That’s a lot of Joses.
Launch Angles
It should come as no surprise that anyone putting the wood on the ball like Yordan will have some line-drive home runs, and some towering pop flies that happened to get over the fence, but the two extremes are some of my favorite of his this season. Against the NYY in June he hit a home run into the 4th row of right field that had an 18-degree launch angle. Just ripped 113.2mph.
His homer with the highest launch angle, 42 degrees, was also his shortest of the season at 348ft landing in the front row of right field at Minute Maid Park. Some may call that a cheap home run, but it seemed like it had more hangtime than an international flight on Yordan Airways so it most certainly counts.
His most impressive night of the season was likely September 16th when he hit 3 towering home runs off of Oakland’s Adrian Martinez – 431, 434, and 464 feet respectively. Two of them went into the Budweiser Brewhouse Party deck and the other one landed near the Home Run Gas Pump.
Top 8 Pitcher Reactions
Number 8:
AJ Puk is frozen. He puts his hand over his mouth and stands still. He is focusing as hard as he can on not turning around to watch this ball sail 444 feet. Yordan is halfway to first base and Puk is stuck, hasn’t moved an inch.
Number 7:
Matt Foster quickly gazes to the sky as Yordan tees off at a 42 degree launch angle to make it 12-3 on a beautiful Friday evening accompanied by one of the worst home run calls by a play-by-play announcer you’ll ever hear.
Number 6:
Trevor Williams actually ducks for cover as this ball explodes off of Yordan’s bat at 107.3mph. He wasn’t the only Met punished by Yordan Alvarez – Carrasco had a pair hit off of him, and Shreve was also a victim. Good new if the Astros face the Mets in the post-season.
Number 5:
Cole Irvin checks to make sure his manhood is still intact after Yordan Alvarez smokes one 429ft to right field. The Athletics were tormented by this man all year, and will be for 6 more seasons.
Number 4:
Paul Blackburn just puts his hands on his hips saying “HUH?? WOULD YA JUST LOOK AT THAT!” as Yordan Alvarez hits his deepest ball of the season at 469ft. Another Oakland punching bag for years to come.
Number 3:
Jose Berrios drops to one knee to worship a towering 447ft bomb on a 2-1 changeup. You’re at the church of Yordan Alvarez, all are welcome.
Number 2:
Archie Bradley brought his own invisible violin to the game to play himself a tune for his walk back to the dugout when Yordan Alvarez puts the Angels in a 4-run deficit.
Number 1:
Your gold medal winner, Scott Barlow – clip of the year. This man has the most “Whelp.” look on his face of all time. He’s removed his glove before he even finishes turning around to admire Yordan’s 444ft walk-off dinger to send his team home. In his defense, it was a well-placed pitch. But Yordan Alvarez can reach balls at any part of the zone and hit them very, very far.
That puts an exclamation mark on another phenomenal Astros regular season for the fans in Houston. Let’s see what they can put together in the post with the American League’s best pitching staff.
11. more. wins.
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