The Astros have been one of the leaders in prospect development over the last decade. They have taken lesser known prospects and turned them into superstars.
In June of 2016, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed outfielder Yordan Alvarez for $2 million. Less than two months later, the Astros traded right-hander Josh Fields for a prospect who hadn’t even played professional baseball yet. That prospect, of course, turned out to be none other than Yordan Alvarez.
As mentioned earlier, the Dodgers signed Yordan Alvarez for $2 million in 2016 after he defected from Cuba. At just 17 years old, Alvarez had already impressed with a .351 batting average in 40 games during his season in Cuba prior to his signing. After the trade, he went straight to the Dominican Summer League, where he played 16 games, batting .341 with 12 walks and 7 strikeouts.
Alvarez started out the 2017 season in Single-A Quad Cities and showed off an extremely advanced approach for such a young hitter. Just 19-years-old at the time, Alvarez hit .360 with 9 home runs in 32 games earning him a quick promotion to High-A Buies Creek. He played in 58 games in High-A and hit .277, though with just 3 home runs.
Entering 2018, Alvarez had built up some helium and was up to the #4 prospect in the Astros system and the #62 prospect in baseball according to Baseball America. He was flashing a great approach but the in game power had yet to fully be on display. Prospect evaluators noted his athleticism for his size, which helped keep him as an outfield prospect.
Alvarez started 2018 in Double-A Corpus Christi and hit well as he slashed .325/.390/.615 with 13 doubles and 12 home runs in 43 games. He received a promotion to Triple-A but saw his first minor struggles hitting just .259 with a .801 OPS in 45 games. He finished the year with 20 home runs and a .904 OPS in 88 games.
Heading into 2019, it felt like Alvarez was actually being underrated despite landing as the #3 prospect in the Astros system, and #34 prospect in baseball according to Baseball America. 2019 ended up being a ridiculous season for Alvarez.
He started the season in Triple-A Round Rock and went on an absolute tear. The left-handed hitting Alvarez hit .343 with 23 home runs and 71 runs batted in over just 56 games. He received his major league call-up June 2019.
Alvarez put together a historic rookie season. He set an Astros team record taking only 27 games to reach 10 career home runs. Through his first 52 games he hit .344 with 19 home runs and 55 runs batted in. He finished the year batting .313 with 27 home runs and 78 runs batted in over 87 games. This was good for a 173 wRC+ and 3.7 WAR. Between Triple-A and MLB, he hit 50 home runs and had 149 runs batted in. He finished as the unanimous American League Rookie of the Year.
Alvarez would miss most of the 2020 season due to injury but would post the following stat lines over the next four years of his career:
2021 – 33 HR, 104 RBI, 137 wRC+
2022 – 37 HR, 97 RBI, 185 wRC+
2023 – 31 HR, 97 RBI, 170 wRC+
2024 – 35 HR, 86 RBI, 168 wRC+
From 2022 to 2024, Alvarez ranked second in all of baseball with a 174 wRC+, trailing only Aaron Judge. A three-time All-Star and a three-time top-15 finisher in MVP voting, he’s widely regarded as one of the most feared hitters in the game. The cherry on toip… Alvarez has also been dominant in the postseason, slashing .294 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs in 60 playoff games.
From signing for $2 million to being traded to the Astros in a minor deal, Yordan Alvarez has transformed into one of baseball’s top hitters, shining bright in an Astros uniform.
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