Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez hasn't had the 2025 season that he or any of the Houston faithful have been hoping for, as a hand injury sidelined the slugger for over three months.
But now, Alvarez is back in the Houston lineup, and it's like he never left.
And he continues to prove his case as one of the best left-handed hitters in MLB, not just in today's game, but of all-time.
This stat proves Yordan Alvarez as one of the best left-handed hitters of all time
With his homer Thursday, Alvarez moved into the fourth spot of highest career on-base plus slugging (OPS) against a left-handed pitcher by a left-handed batter.
Alvarez's long ball moves him to a .965 OPS against southpaws, moving him above the legendary Ted Williams at .926, only trailing Babe Ruth with a 1.104, Barry Bonds at .986, and Lou Gehrig at .980.
Pretty good company, if you ask me.
Facing a left-handed pitcher in general can be a tricky task, regardless of which side of the plate the batter is standing on. The different arm angle and mechanics are not what most hitters are accustomed to, which is all the more reasoning as to why Alvarez's appearance on this stat is even more impressive.
In just 39 games played in 2025, Alvarez is batting a .265 average with five home runs and 25 runs batted in.