Air Yordan's clutch rep will be key for Astros' repeat quest

HOUSTON -- There's just about no one who the Astros want to see more -- or who opposing pitchers want to see less -- than Yordan Alvarez stepping up to the plate with everything on the line.

More often than not, he's come through in a big way for Houston.

One of the most feared sluggers in baseball and a finalist for the 2023 Hank Aaron Award, Alvarez is already a force to be reckoned with in the regular season. But his penchant for doing damage at the right moment in the postseason is what the Astros have been waiting for all year as they take another step toward defending their title in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Twins on Saturday at Minute Maid Park.

Some players seem to flip a switch when the calendar flips to October, but by all accounts, Alvarez stays true to himself in the best way possible.

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"I think the biggest thing is that nothing changes for him," third baseman Alex Bregman said. "He's the same guy that he is all year long. He's got a slow heartbeat, and he doesn't let the moment get too big for himself. He just tries to execute his game plan and his swing, and I think that's what makes him successful in those big moments."

Since Alvarez's Major League debut in 2019, he has been a key component to several of the Astros' deep postseason runs. He most notably shined in the '21 AL Championship Series, slashing .522/.538/.870 with five extra-base hits and earning the series MVP nod. One year later, he launched a Statcast-projected 450-foot three-run shot in Game 6 of the '22 World Series to propel Houston to the title.

At 26 years old, Alvarez already has 47 postseason games, three AL pennants and a championship ring to his name. As he's spent more time playing under the bright lights of October, he's grown into the key moments that always seem to find him.

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"I think the biggest thing I've gotten out of that has been the experience," Alvarez said in Spanish through team interpreter Jenloy Herrera. "Playing in the playoffs, a lot of tense situations, a lot of big moments. The experience there has been immense."

The mentality that Alvarez carries into the playoffs begins with the high standard he sets for himself during the regular season. Astros utilityman Mauricio Dubón recalled that Alvarez told him that he didn't feel quite right at the plate at some point in the past month -- then went on to slash .294/.441/.620 with eight homers in September and October en route to taking home Player of the Month honors.

"We were joking around, actually, the [442-foot] home run he hit in Seattle -- he hit it well, at 116 [mph], I think … and he said he didn't get it all," Dubón said. "And then I come [up] and hit a home run to left field [that] barely cleared the fence, and I'm coming into the dugout like, 'I got it all!'

"It's crazy how talented that guy is."

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Alvarez is no stranger to making deep playoff runs, as the Astros have advanced to the Fall Classic in all three years he's appeared in the postseason. He's been around for the bulk of Houston's six consecutive ALCS berths, a streak the team aims to extend by taking care of business against Minnesota, starting on Saturday.

When a decisive situation inevitably arises, there's little doubt that Alvarez will be there to answer the call. He has his eyes on the ultimate prize, but he's not looking too far ahead.

"There's no doubt the goal is to win the World Series," Alvarez said. "We need to take it one game at a time. The biggest focus is to win Game 1 here [tomorrow] and then think about the next game after that. We really can't be thinking too much. Keep our head here in the present."