Yordan Alvarez 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Health Issues Impacting Star Power Hitter
Yordan Alvarez's ability as a hitter is not in question. Unfortunately, health is capping his fantasy value. After four consecutive seasons of at least 30 home runs, Alvarez saw that streak end in 2025. A hand injury was the main issue for Alvarez. That, coupled with an ankle sprain in September, restricted him to just 48 games. Ultimately, Alvarez played the outfield just 15 times, so he is now only DH (designated hitter) eligible in most leagues. With the Astros likely to restrict his time in the outfield this year, if you do draft Alvarez, don't expect him to regain outfield eligibility early in the season. What you are certain to get from Alvarez is power. He managed to reach the 30-homer mark in the previous four seasons, despite not playing 150 games in any of them. Even in limited action last year, Alvarez still had standout power metrics. His 52.9% hard-hit% and 94.7 MPH average exit velocity were both elite. Although Alvarez didn't have enough plate appearances, among qualified hitters, he would have ranked in the 85th percentile or better for all quality of contact metrics. The only thing that will prevent Alvarez from providing fantasy value is another season with more time spent on the injured list than in the batter's box.
Read More News
RADIO



