His ability to deliver with runners on base has been a major part of his offensive value. If the Astros continue putting runners in scoring position ahead of him, Alvarez should have plenty of opportunities to add to his RBI total.
That could become especially important if the home run and batting-average races remain tight.
HISTORY IS WITHIN REACH
Winning a Triple Crown is extraordinarily difficult, which is why the achievement has become one of baseball’s most celebrated individual accomplishments.
Cabrera was the last player to accomplish it, doing so in 2012. Since then, several superstars have come close, including Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, but neither was able to lead the league in batting average, home runs and RBIs in the same season.
That history puts Alvarez’s current position into perspective.
He isn’t simply chasing a statistical milestone. He is attempting to accomplish something that no American League hitter has done in more than a decade.
And despite the recent challenges, Alvarez remains firmly in the race.
ALVAREZ CONTINUES TO DOMINATE
Even beyond the three Triple Crown categories, Alvarez’s offensive numbers underline just how impressive his season has been.
He currently leads the American League in several major offensive categories, including on-base percentage at .432, slugging percentage at .599, OPS at 1.031 and walks with 99.
Those numbers demonstrate that Alvarez has been far more than a power hitter.
He has consistently reached base, controlled at-bats and created extra-base damage while remaining one of the most feared hitters in the league.
Now, he has a little more than two weeks to turn that production into history.
The pressure will be enormous. Caminero is right beside him in the home run race, Alonso is tied with him in RBIs, and Simpson is within striking distance in batting average.
But Alvarez has already done the hardest part: putting himself in position to win.
If he can rediscover his July form and finish the season with authority, the Astros star could become the first player since Cabrera to capture the Triple Crown.
The margin for error is shrinking, but Alvarez’s historic opportunity is still alive.
