The Cuban Baseball Digest

At the pre-postseason press conference, Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Álvarez spoke with the media. The Cuban slugger discussed opposing teams’ strategies, changes to his training and diet, his role in mentoring younger players, and what winning the batting title means to him.

Many analysts consider him the favorite to win the American League Most Valuable Player award. There is no doubt that, when healthy, he is one of the best hitters—if not the best—in Major League Baseball. Below is the full interview.

Álvarez put together the best season of his career in 2026, capturing the American League batting title. He played in 158 games, posting an MLB-leading .316 batting average with 179 hits in 563 at-bats. His dominance at the plate was complete, as he led MLB in on-base percentage (.432), slugging percentage (.601), and OPS (1.033). He also led the American League with 109 walks, including intentional walks.

We obviously saw how cautiously pitchers approached you toward the end of the season. Do you feel that could happen even more in the playoffs? If so, how do you balance that with trying to do damage at the plate?

I’m going to focus on what I can control. We have a lineup full of very talented players, so I think we’re all going to focus on controlling the things we can control out there.

A lot of the conversation leading up to this game has been about how the opposing team can stop you. If you were on an opposing team, what do you think could be done to stop you?

I really don’t want to talk about that. A lot of people didn’t want us, the Astros, in the playoffs because they know we can be a problem in the playoffs. So those are things I really don’t want to discuss.

You’ve talked a lot this season about how happy you are to have stayed healthy all year. Did you do anything differently during the offseason with your training, or anything else to help you stay on the field all year?

Yes, I did a lot of different things that worked. Part of that was changing my diet, and I also had a trainer who traveled with me on road trips to the different cities we visited. So, yes, there were a couple of things I did differently.

Is there a specific food you gave up this winter that you miss the most?

Possibly, yes, but I don’t want to get into the details. I don’t think what happened last season is a secret. It was a season in which I missed a lot of games. I was just trying to go out there and give my best. But, yes.

There are a lot of personal things that stay inside the clubhouse, but I’ve made sure to tell all the guys that if they have any questions or concerns, they’re more than welcome to come to me. I think the young players have done a very good job of approaching me—and not just me, but Altuve as well.

You know, throughout the season, there was a lot of confidence in the clubhouse that we were going to make the playoffs. We always stayed positive that we would get there. There was never any fear of missing the playoffs. Obviously, the road got a little difficult, but after the last game, we celebrated, knowing that something completely new was about to begin in the playoffs and that we would go from there.

These are the playoffs. They’re a young team. As players, we’re going to study the pitcher. We haven’t faced him. The only thing we can study is the hitters he has already faced. These are the playoffs. It’s all about that at-bat, taking it one at-bat at a time and making sure each one counts.

As a team, I think those last two games were very helpful in carrying that momentum into the playoffs. As for the batting title, personally, it’s something I’m very proud of. Winning a batting title is something that has always crossed my mind. So I would say I’m proud of myself on a personal level.