Yordan Alvarez Is Hitting .347 With 11 Homers and the Yankees' Best Pitching Staff in Baseball Has No Choice But to Face Him

The New York Yankees are rolling. They've won six straight games, their pitchers just recorded back-to-back sweeps of Kansas City and Boston, and they're sitting with baseball's best ERA at 3.07. Now they roll into Houston for a three-game series Friday night ready to keep Yordan Alvarez's bat quiet. Good luck with that.

Alvarez is basically playing a different sport right now. The Astros designated hitter leads all of MLB with a .347 batting average, 11 home runs, 26 RBIs, and a 1.245 OPS. He's not just getting hits, he's getting the right hits. Against Cleveland last week, after Houston dropped 12 of 14 games, Alvarez drove in five runs in a series win. He hit a two run homer in the first inning of Wednesday's 2-0 victory after the Astros blew a late lead the night before. His shortstop Carlos Correa put it perfectly: "To be honest, 2026 Yordan is the closest I've seen to Barry Bonds. Definitely, this version of him is the best. I haven't missed one swing of his all year because he's must-watch."

Yankees' Pitching Coming Off Elite Week

The Yankees had a rough stretch last week against Los Angeles, allowing 32 runs in a four-game split with the Angels. Since then, they've been dominant. During their current winning streak, the Yankees pitching staff is posting a 1.17 ERA. Max Fried went eight innings on Wednesday. Cam Schlittler was efficient with eight innings on Thursday night after the Yankees beat Boston 4-2, with Cody Bellinger delivering a pinch-hit, two-run single in the seventh. The lineup struck out 11 times in the first six innings against Boston rookie Payton Tolle, but they found a way to win. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the victory: "Wins are precious any time of year, especially within the division."

Will Warren takes the mound Friday for New York. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA and just had one of the best outings of his career. Last Saturday against Kansas City in a 13-4 win, Warren allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings while striking out 11 batters, his third time this year hitting double digits in strikeouts.

Houston's Pitching Is the Real Problem

Houston's 5.81 ERA is the worst in baseball, and that's the story of why they own the AL's third worst record despite having the game's best hitter. Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1, 6.20 ERA) takes the ball Friday for the Astros. He's allowed 10 runs in 9 1/3 innings over his past two starts and took a loss Saturday against St. Louis after giving up four runs on five hits in five innings of a 7-5 defeat.

The good news for Houston fans? McCullers is 2-0 with a 2.97 ERA in five regular-season starts against New York. But stopping a Yankees team on a six-game winning streak with the best pitching in the league won't be easy, no matter who's on the mound.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.