Yordan Alvarez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yordan Alvarez
Alvarez with the Houston Astros in 2019
Houston Astros – No. 44
Designated hitter / Left fielder
Born: (1997-06-27) June 27, 1997 (age 28) Las Tunas, Cuba
Bats: Left Throws: Right
debut
June 9, 2019, for the Houston Astros
MLB statistics (through April 29, 2025)
Batting average	.295
Hits	704
Home runs	167
Runs batted in	484
Teams
Houston Astros (2019–present)
Career highlights and awards
3× All-Star (2022–2024) World Series champion (2022) All-MLB First Team (2022) 4× All-MLB Second Team (2019, 2021, 2023, 2024) AL Rookie of the Year (2019) ALCS MVP (2021) Silver Slugger Award (2022)
Medals Men's baseball Representing CUB 15U Baseball World Championship Silver 2012 Chihuahua Team

Yordan Ruben Alvarez (born June 27, 1997) is a professional baseball player from Cuba. He plays as a designated hitter and left fielder for the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). Yordan made his big league debut in 2019. He is known for his powerful hitting and has been selected as an All-Star three times. He also helped the Astros win the World Series in 2022.

Before playing in the United States, Yordan played baseball in Cuba for two seasons. He later left Cuba in 2016 to pursue his dream of playing professional baseball. He first signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the Houston Astros traded for him in 2016, even before he played his first professional game. In 2019, he was named the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year. He set a record for rookies with his amazing hitting power.

After missing most of the 2020 season due to injuries, Yordan became famous for hitting many home runs and for being a clutch hitter (someone who performs well in important moments). He won the 2021 ALCS MVP award. In 2022, he hit a special walk-off home run in the playoffs. This home run won the game for his team when they were behind. He also hit a key home run in the 2022 World Series to help the Astros win their championship.

Professional Baseball Journey

Playing in Cuba

Yordan Alvarez played two seasons in the Cuban National Series (CNS) for a team called the Leñadores de Las Tunas. In his second season, 2014–15, he was a great hitter. He had a .351 batting average, which was the second best on his team.

Leaving Cuba

In 2016, Yordan left Cuba and moved to Haiti. While there, he met Yuli Gurriel and his brother, Lourdes Jr., who also became major league players. Yordan then went to West Palm Beach, Florida, where the Astros have their spring training facility. He became friends with an Astros scout named Charlie Gonzalez. The scout really wanted the Astros to sign Yordan. However, the team had already spent a lot of money on another player. So, Yordan signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in June 2016 for $2 million.

Minor League Baseball

In August 2016, the Dodgers traded Yordan to the Houston Astros. They needed a relief pitcher and traded Yordan for a player named Josh Fields. This happened before Yordan even played a single game in the minor leagues! The Dodgers' president later said that trading Yordan was a "mistake."

Yordan started his professional career in 2016 with the Dominican Summer League Astros. He played 16 games there and hit very well. In 2017, he played for the Quad Cities River Bandits and then the Buies Creek Astros. He hit .304 with 12 home runs and 69 RBIs that year. He also played in the 2017 All-Star Futures Game, which features top young players.

Alvarez (left) with Luis García at the 2018 All-Star Futures Game

Before the 2018 season, Yordan was considered one of the best young players in the minor leagues. He played for the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Fresno Grizzlies. He hit .293 with 20 home runs and 74 RBIs combined between the two teams.

In 2019, Yordan started the season with the Round Rock Express. He was hitting incredibly well before being called up to the major leagues. He had a .343 batting average, 23 home runs, and 71 RBIs. He was leading all minor league players in home runs and RBIs. He was also ranked as the Astros' #3 prospect.

Playing for the Houston Astros

2019: Rookie Sensation

On June 9, 2019, the Astros brought Yordan up to the major leagues. He made his debut against the Baltimore Orioles. In his very first game, he hit a two-run home run! In his next game, he hit another home run. He was the first Astros player to hit a home run in his first two games. Yordan became only the fourth player in MLB history to hit four home runs in his first five games.

On June 23, Yordan hit his 7th home run in just 12 games, setting a new Astros record. He also became the first MLB player to have 16 RBIs in his first 12 games. He won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Month Award for both June and July. He was hitting .336 with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs. He quickly became a top contender for the AL Rookie of the Year award.

On August 10, Yordan hit a grand slam and two more home runs in a game against the Orioles. He had a career-high seven RBIs in that game. This brought his total to 51 RBIs in his first 45 games, which was a major league record.

In 2019, Yordan finished the season with a .313 batting average, 27 home runs, and 75 RBIs. He was the unanimous winner of the AL Rookie of the Year Award. His .655 slugging percentage (SLG) and 1.067 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) were the highest ever for a qualified rookie. He also led AL rookies in on-base percentage (OBP, .412).

In the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals, Yordan hit his first career home run in the World Series. It was a two-run home run in Game 5, helping Houston win 7–1.

2020: Injury Setback

Yordan missed the start of the 2020 season because he tested positive for COVID-19. He returned in August but only played two games. He then had surgery on both of his knees, which ended his season early.

2021: ALCS MVP

On May 7, 2021, Yordan got his 100th career RBI in his 114th game. He was one of the fastest players in history to reach 100 RBIs. He hit his 30th home run of the season on September 13. At 24 years old, he was the second youngest Astro to hit 30 home runs in a season. On September 22, he reached 100 RBIs for the season.

In the 2021 season, he hit .277 with 33 home runs and 104 RBIs. He led the Astros in home runs and RBIs. He was also named to the All-MLB Team Second Team.

In Game 5 of the ALCS, the Astros played against the Boston Red Sox. Yordan had three hits and three RBIs, including a home run. In Game 6, he had four hits, including two doubles and a triple, helping Houston win the series. He hit an amazing .522 in the ALCS, setting a new record. For his incredible performance, Yordan was named the ALCS Most Valuable Player (MVP).

2022: World Series Champion

On May 13, 2022, Yordan hit his 11th home run of the season in just his 27th game. This was his fastest start to reach 11 home runs in his career. On June 2, 2022, Yordan signed a big six-year contract extension with the Astros worth $115 million. This deal keeps him with the team until the 2028 season. He was named AL Player of the Week for the first time on June 6.

Yordan won the AL Player of the Month Award for June. He hit .418 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs in 23 games. He led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and RBIs. On July 4, he hit his first career walk-off home run, winning the game for the Astros 7–6.

On July 10, Yordan was selected for the MLB All-Star Game as a reserve designated hitter. This was his first All-Star selection. However, he was placed on the injured list (IL) due to a hand injury and could not play in the game. He returned to play on July 21. On July 29, he hit his 30th home run in his 84th game, setting a team record for reaching that mark in the fewest games.

In 2022, Yordan had a fantastic season, hitting .306 with 37 home runs and 95 runs scored. These were all career-highs for him. He also played 56 games in left field, which was a career-high. He was recognized as the Astros' team Most Valuable Player (MVP) after the regular season.

In the 2022 playoffs, Yordan hit three crucial home runs that gave his team the lead when they were behind. No other player had done this more than once in postseason history. In Game 1 of the Division Series, Yordan hit a three-run walk-off home run to win the game 8–7 against the Mariners. This was the first walk-off home run in MLB postseason history when the home team was down to their final out and trailing by more than one run.

In Game 6 of the 2022 World Series, with two runners on base, Yordan hit a massive 450-foot home run to center field. This made the score 3-1, and the Astros went on to win the game 4-1, securing their second World Series title. Yordan finished third in the AL MVP voting that year.

2023: Another Strong Season

On April 3, 2023, Yordan hit his 100th career home run in his 372nd game. This set a new Astros franchise record for reaching 100 home runs in the fewest games. He was also the fifth-fastest player in major league history to reach this milestone. Yordan had a streak of reaching base in 40 consecutive games, from the end of the 2022 season to May 17, 2023.

Yordan missed 39 games due to a right oblique strain that happened on June 8. Even though he was injured, he was still named to the American League All-Star team for the second year in a row. He returned from the injured list on July 26. On September 24, he hit his 30th home run, marking his third straight season with 30 or more home runs. He was named AL Player of the Month for the second time.

In 2023, Yordan played in 114 games, hitting .293 with 31 home runs and 97 RBIs. He ranked among the top players in the league for home runs and RBIs.

In Game 1 of the ALDS, Yordan hit two home runs to help the Astros win 6–4 against the Minnesota Twins. He hit another home run in Game 2 and yet another in Game 3, making it four home runs in three postseason games. He joined Reggie Jackson as the only players in history to hit at least four home runs and six extra-base hits in a three-game playoff stretch. Even though the Astros lost the ALCS, Yordan continued to hit well, batting .481 with two home runs and 9 RBIs.

2024: All-Star and Cycle

Yordan was named the starting designated hitter for the American League All-Star team for the first time in his career. This was his third straight All-Star selection.

On July 21, 2024, Yordan hit a double in the eighth inning to complete the cycle in a game against the Mariners. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game! He was the 11th player in Astros history to achieve this. On August 6, Yordan hit his 150th career home run in his 590th game. This broke the Astros franchise record for reaching 150 home runs in the fewest games. He also became the eighth-fastest player in major league history to hit 150 home runs.

On August 28, Yordan hit three home runs in three straight times at bat. This was his third career game with three home runs. With this achievement, Yordan tied Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell for the most 3-home run games in Astros history. On September 1, Yordan reached 30 home runs for the fourth season in a row. He joined Jeff Bagwell as the only Astros players to do this.

In the 2024 regular season, Yordan played a career-high 147 games. He hit .308 with 35 home runs and 86 RBIs. He led the Astros in many hitting categories, including batting average, home runs, and RBIs. He was voted the Astros' 2024 MVP by the Houston baseball writers.

2025: Injury Update

Due to ongoing right hand inflammation, the Astros placed Yordan on the injured list (IL) on May 5, 2025. An MRI showed a small muscle strain. The hand was not getting better with rest, and on May 30, another MRI showed a small fracture in his fourth finger bone. On July 1, it was announced that Yordan had to stop his rehabilitation because of renewed soreness. He was then moved to the 60-day injured list.

About Yordan's Life

Yordan's parents are Agustín Eduardo Alvarez Salazar and Mailyn Cadogan Reyes. He also has a brother named Yonder Alvarez Cadogan. On August 23, 2022, Yordan's family saw him play professionally for the first time since he left Cuba. This happened during a game at Minute Maid Park against the Minnesota Twins.

Yordan is Afro-Cuban. He is naturally right-handed but learned to hit left-handed as a child. He realized he was stronger hitting from the left side.

Awards and Honors

More to Explore

• Houston Astros award winners and league leaders
• List of baseball players who defected from Cuba
• List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba
• List of walk-off home runs in the postseason and All-Star Game

See also

In Spanish: Yordan Álvarez para niños