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· collected 2026-08-24 · by Noah Trister The Associated Press
Yordan Alvarez is currently leading the American League with a .320 average, 36 home runs, and 90 RBIs, putting him in position to win the Triple Crown if he maintains his top spot in all three categories. Alvarez faces threats from Tampa Bay players Chandler Simpson (.310) and Yandy Díaz (.306) for the batting title, while Junior Caminero (35 home runs) and Ben Rice (34 home runs) are close behind him in the home run race. The article notes that Alvarez has been intentionally walked 28 times this season, potentially limiting his opportunities to contribute to the Astros' offense in a tight race.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-24,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Yordan Alvarez, a slugger for the Houston Astros, is vying to become the next player to win the Triple Crown in baseball. To achieve this feat, he must maintain his lead in three categories: batting average, home runs, and RBIs. Currently, Alvarez has a .320 average, 36 home runs, and 90 RBIs in the American League, making him a strong candidate for the award. However, he faces competition from players in the AL East, particularly those on the Tampa Bay Rays. Chandler Simpson and Yandy Díaz, both Rays players, are close behind Alvarez in batting average, with .310 and .306 averages, respectively. In the home run category, Junior Caminero of the Rays is just one hit shy of Alvarez's total, with 35 home runs.
Written for “Yankees Threaten AL East Lead” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 2048 · logged 2026-08-27
As the season winds down, Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez will have to worry about two sets of spoilers.
asserted
Alvarez → wind → spoilers
The first is the more traditional type — teams that will try to beat the Astros in key games and deny them a spot in the postseason.
asserted
that → try → postseason
The other includes individual spoilers — players who could prevent Alvarez from making history as baseball’s next Triple Crown winner.
uncertain
who → include → winner
Alvarez currently leads the American League with a .320 average, 36 home runs and 90 RBIs.
asserted
Alvarez → lead → average
If he holds onto the top spot in all three categories, he’d be the first batter to win the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012.
asserted
he → hold → 2012
The biggest threats Alvarez faces all come from the AL East.
asserted
Alvarez → face → East
The next-highest batting averages in the AL both belong to Tampa Bay players — Chandler Simpson at .310 and Yandy Díaz at .306.
asserted
averages → belong → .306
Fortunately for Alvarez, there aren’t any stealth candidates — players with high averages who don’t currently have enough plate appearances to qualify, but would by the end of the season.
asserted
who → be → season
Ben Rice of the New York Yankees has 34.
asserted
Rice → have → 34
There are times when Alvarez seems like Houston’s only major threat offensively, and he’s been intentionally walked 28 times — way more than Caminero (10) and Rice (four).
asserted
he → be → Caminero
Those lost opportunities could matter in a close race.
uncertain
opportunities → lose → race
Alvarez’s closest competition in RBIs is Baltimore’s Pete Alonso, who has 85.
asserted
who → have → 85
Alonso recently went on a 14-game hitting streak.
asserted
Alonso → go → streak
When Cabrera pulled off the Triple Crown in 2012, he had to hold off Hall of Famers Joe Mauer and Adrian Beltre in batting average, as well as likely Hall of Famer Mike Trout.
asserted
he → pull → Famer
He finished one homer ahead of Josh Hamilton and Curtis Granderson.
asserted
He → finish → Hamilton
Alvarez broke Jeff Bagwell’s franchise record for intentional walks in a season.
asserted
Alvarez → break → season
Bagwell drew 27 in 1997.
asserted
Bagwell → draw → 1997
Performance of the week
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first and a walk-off shot in the 10th to give the Chicago Cubs a 7-5 win over the White Sox on Monday night.
asserted
Armstrong → hit → night
The Cubs then won in walk-off fashion again a night later against the White Sox, but were beaten via the walk-off twice in a row by Seattle later in the week.
asserted
Cubs → win → week
The Cubs have 13 walk-off wins this year, the most in baseball, but the White Sox and Mariners aren’t far behind with 11.
asserted
Sox → have → 11
Comeback of the week
Philadelphia was down 4-0 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Sunday before rallying for a 6-4 victory over St. Louis.
asserted
Philadelphia → rally → Louis
Edmundo Sosa hit a three-run double, and Bryan De La Cruz hit a single that tied the game.
asserted
that → hit → game
Then Kyle Schwarber won it with his major league-leading 39th homer of the season.
asserted
Schwarber → win → season
It was the ninth straight victory for the Phillies, who now trail first-place Atlanta by only three games in the NL East.
asserted
who → trail → East
It’s been a bizarre season for Philadelphia, which was 8-18 by late April, then went 48-27, then lost eight of its last games in July before going 16-5 so far in August.
asserted
which → go → August
Team of the week
Kansas City was the lone team to go 7-0 over the past week, although the Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers both went 6-0.
asserted
Phillies → go → week
The Royals took advantage of four games against the dreadful Athletics before sweeping three in a row from a Detroit team that’s chasing a playoff berth.
asserted
that → take → berth
Last-place Kansas City is actually 36-30 at home this year but has gone 22-44 on the road.
asserted
City → go → road
Trivia answer
Rusty Staub drew 24 intentional walks for the Astros in 1968.
asserted
Staub → draw → 1968
