Yordan Alvarez has become the clearest reason the Houston Astros are still being talked about as a team to watch in the American League.
After stumbling out of the gate and sitting at 27-34 at the end of May, Houston has started inching back toward the .500 line. The Astros are still trying to claw their way into the playoff race after missing the postseason last year, but their recent push has changed the conversation around the club.
Alvarez is at the center of it. The starting designated hitter for the AL in this year’s All-Star Game has turned in an MVP-caliber season, and former MLB infielder Cole Tucker says that kind of production is enough to make people rethink Houston entirely.
"It feels like Houston has some momentum, not that they're playing unbelievably well, but enough to stay in it," Tucker said via MLB Network Radio.
Tucker also pointed to the noise that had been building around the Astros earlier in the year, when speculation swirled about whether the team would break things up.
"Everyone was talking about, are they going to blow it up, is Alvarez going to get traded, where's he gonna go; now, he's going to the All-Star Game, he's knocking on the door of 30 homers going into the break, I don't know how you could trade that guy, I don't know how you couldn't not believe in this team."
That’s the kind of force Alvarez has been for Houston. Even with much of the national attention focused elsewhere, including the discussion around Aaron Judge not playing, Alvarez’s season has kept the Astros relevant and pushed him into the MVP conversation.
Tucker said the team’s outlook has shifted because of more than just one bat. Houston’s pitching depth is getting healthier, and other hitters are helping Alvarez carry the load.
If there was any real talk of the Astros becoming sellers at the trade deadline, that idea has faded fast. Tucker said he expects Houston to keep pushing to stay in the mix.
"I don't think the Houston Astros are going to be looking to sell. I think they're going to look to remain competitive as we get closer to the deadline, if this continues," Tucker claimed.
For now, Alvarez remains the face of Houston’s climb back into contention, and the Astros’ recent momentum has given believers plenty to point to.
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