Yordan Alvarez was a midseason callup last year by the Houston Astros and dominated from the get-go in winning AL Rookie of the Year honors. Here are two props available to wager at Mybookie on Alvarez’s 2020 MLB season – assuming there is one – and an overview.
Yordan Alvarez MLB Awards Odds & Analysis For 2020 Season
- Most home runs of any batter: Alvarez is +1300
- AL MVP Award: Alvarez is TBA
One of the most lopsided trades in recent memory happened on Aug. 1, 2016, when the Dodgers sent Alvarez to Houston for pitcher Josh Fields. Fields was 30 at the time. He had thrown 15.2 innings that year for the Astros, all in relief. He left Houston with an ERA of 6.89 and a WHIP of 1.66 at the time of the trade. Alvarez never played a game in the Dodgers organization. Now he’s a rising superstar.
It was no sure thing that Alvarez was going to be ready for the original Opening Day as right before MLB shut down, new manager Dusty Baker admitted that it was up in the air. Alvarez had been dealing with soreness in both of his knees and the issue dragged on longer than expected. Shouldn’t be a problem now if we have a season.
Alvarez wasn’t called up until last June by Houston but still was a unanimous choice for AL Rookie of the Year. He hit 27 homers, which were a rookie club record. Among MLB rookies, Alvarez ranked first in OBP (.412), SLG (.655) and OPS (1.067) with his OPS being the highest posted by a rookie in MLB history, besting Shoeless Joe Jackson, who posted a 1.058 OPS for the 1911 Cleveland Naps (min. 350 PA).
Alvarez posted 78 RBI in his 87 games during the regular season, which ranked as the seventh-highest RBI total thru a player’s first 87 games in MLB history, trailing only Walt Dropo (95 RBI in 1950), Ted Williams (86 RBI in 1939), Joe DiMaggio (85 RBI in 1936) and three other players in Major League history. In Astros history, Alvarez’s 78 RBI ranked second among rookies, trailing only the 1991 season by Jeff Bagwell, who collected 82 RBI in his 156 games played. Bagwell won the Rookie of the Year that season.
In a 23-2 win over Baltimore on Aug. 10 at Camden Yards, Alvarez recorded career highs in home runs (3) and RBI (7). He became the first rookie in club history to have a three-homer game and the second to have a seven RBI game, also C J.R. Towles on Sept. 20, 2007 vs. STL (8 RBI).
Alvarez was also the first Astro to have a three-homer game in the regular season since Carlos Lee on April 13, 2007 at the Phillies. Alvarez was the seventh-youngest player (22.044) in MLB history to have a three-homer game.
Continuing, Alvarez was named the AL Rookie of the Month in June, July and August. He became the first player in franchise history to win three consecutive Rookie of the Month awards, and the first MLB player to do so since Aaron Judge from April-June of 2017. Alvarez set a Major League record for RBI in a player’s first 45 career games with 51, surpassing Ted Williams’ record of 47 set in 1939. He also set a record for RBI within a player’s first 30 games (35 RBI), surpassing Albert Pujols (34 in 2001).
Including Yordan Alvarez, the 2019 Astros became the first team to play five Cubans in the same season since the 1969 Reds used IF Mike de la Hoz, RHP Camilo Pascual, IF Tony Perez, RHP Pedro Ramos and IF Chico Ruiz.
Alvarez was used almost solely as a designated hitter as a rookie, but the Astros are planning to play him in the field more frequently this season than last. Alvarez played the field in just 10 of his 87 games last year. All of those 10 defensive appearances came in left field, although he did play some first base in the minor leagues early in the season.
All three of the team’s current starting outfielders and their first baseman could be lost to free agency after this season — neither Michael Brantley, George Springer, Josh Reddick nor Yuli Gurriel are signed beyond the 2020 season.
