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Yordan Alvarez was a Rookie of the Year, but truly burst onto the scene in 2022 and became a legitimate superstar. He was third in MVP voting after being named a finalist and would have had a good shot at winning if not for a historic campaign from Aaron Judge and the unicorn status of Shohei Ohtani.
Nevertheless, he's very young and may not have reached his peak. 2022 can be considered a breakout season for Alvarez, but one MLB insider believes that doesn't do it justice.
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Per Sports Illustrated, Manny Randhawa said:
"How do you define 'breakout season'? How about posting a career-high OPS+, one that is more than 50 points higher than the prior year? That’s what Alvarez did, finishing third in AL MVP voting despite missing time due to a hand injury.
"He smashed 37 homers in 135 games to help propel Houston to its fourth World Series in six years, which it won in six games over Philadelphia. Alvarez launched three homers in the postseason, including a walk-off shot in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. Still only entering his age-26 season, he’s two homers shy of 100 for his career."
It was truly an incredible season for Alvarez, who knocked in clutch hit after clutch hit in the postseason after establishing himself as a star in the regular season.
For the Astros, the sky is the limit and with Alvarez in town, they'll always be one of the most feared lineups in baseball.
Is Yordan Alvarez a perennial MVP candidate now?
It takes a lot to put together an MVP campaign for a regular season. Yordan Alvarez put one together while only playing in 135 games and primarily being a designated hitter.
He very likely will be an MVP candidate often and will likely win one, but being a perennial candidate is tough. He will have to compete with Shohei Ohtani, who will be a perennial candidate, and other stars.
It's tough to be a finalist every year and as good as Alvarez is, he might not be able to do it.
