Yordan Alvarez's 2026 season with Astros looks like this Hall of Fame DH in his prime

We can compare Yordan Alvarez to other good players, but that doesn’t really make much sense anymore. The conversation has to shift to all-time greats with the season Alvarez is having for the Houston Astros. And that inevitably means David Ortiz’s name will come up. 

Through Tuesday’s action, Alvarez was hitting .325/.435/.647 with 35 home runs and 80 RBIs to go along with 126 hits and 74 runs scored. Those stats are all highlighted because they all lead the American League. The home runs, OBP, and SLG led all of baseball. He’s doing it as basically a full-time DH. 

The swing looks different than Ortiz. The eras look different. But the effect on a lineup and the league is starting to look identical.

David Ortiz never got the hardware, but Yordan Alvarez shouldn't have that problem.

For those Red Sox fans who watched Ortiz destroy pitchers, this part will sting. He never won an MVP award. He was runner-up in 2005 and had four other top-five finishes, but he never won. Some of that is how BBWAA voters treated designated hitters, but some of that was that he was sharing a stage on his own team with Manny Ramirez and within the league with Alex Rodriguez. 

That’s not an issue for Alvarez. He has become the clear favorite, and there isn’t really a credible argument for anyone closing the gap on him. Bobby Witt Jr. is having another excellent all-around season, but he’s on the IL right now and his team stinks. Ben Rice has put together a really nice year in New York, but he’s not having the season Alvarez is. DH or not, Alvarez is so far ahead of anyone else that it’s an easy choice. Of course, there’s a lot of season to go, but right now, it seems pretty easy. 

Could someone else climb into the race against him? Sure. Witt is always lurking. Dillon Dingler of the Tigers is having a great year. There’s a rookie in Detroit too who could turn it on. But Alvarez’s floor feels like it’s still higher than most players’ ceiling, which is exactly how you felt about Ortiz when he was in his prime back in the day. 

That’s the big difference between this MVP race and the ones Ortiz didn’t quite take. He was the best hitter on the ballot in 2005 and still finished second because others were putting up video game numbers. Alvarez is the best hitter, and it’s not close, but nobody else is having a monster year around him either. Aaron Judge is hurt. Witt is hurt and putting up good, not great, numbers. McGonigle hasn’t shown the power. Dingler’s numbers are great for a catcher, but that only goes so far.

The one variable that could still end up hurting Ortiz is the oyster around him. The Astros still have to decide what kind of buyer they want to be. There’s an obvious path the Astros could take, but that would likely put some individual hardware in jeopardy. MVP voters do factor in team success, even if they weigh it too heavily. Alvarez carrying a genuine contender into October instead of a team winning 78 games could make a difference. We can compare him to Ortiz, but other Astros who have won the MVP as well help to make the same point from a different angle. The individual numbers belong in that company and arguably above, but the team needs to catch up.

Ortiz spent his prime being arguably the best hitter of his era, but he couldn’t get the one award that holds so much weight. He still landed in Cooperstown, of course, because the body of work spoke for itself. Hopefully Alvarez doesn’t need to wait that long. We can see him building a similar resume in real time, except this year, there doesn’t seem to be anyone standing between him and the trophy. Well, maybe a schedule with two months left on it, but that’s a small hurdle for him.

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