HOUSTON -- He’s grown into one of the most feared sluggers in Major League Baseball. And just think, the best might still be to come for Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez.

Alvarez burst onto the scene in 2019 and was a unanimous choice for American League Rookie of the Year while helping Houston return to the World Series. He played in only two games in ’20 following knee surgeries, but he returned with a monster ’21 season and won the ALCS MVP award while helping the Astros reach the World Series once again.

• Postseason ticket information

The Cuba native enjoyed his best season yet in 2022, when he was an AL MVP candidate in the first half of the year before a hand injury slowed him down. He was named AL Player of the Month in June after batting .418 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs with the same number of walks (13) as strikeouts. On top of that, he was named to his first All-Star team and signed a six-year, $115 million contract extension that ensures he’ll be part of the Astros’ core for years to come.

Alvarez finished in the top five in the AL in batting average (fourth, .307), homers (third, 37) and RBIs (fifth, 97), despite playing in only 135 games. His 1.019 OPS was second in the Majors behind Aaron Judge of the Yankees (1.111).

“Yordan is one of the most complete hitters in the game of baseball,” Astros general manager James Click said. “His combination of plate discipline, approach, power to all fields and the ability to hit any pitch that is thrown to him make him an elite hitter at the plate. Early in his career, many talked about him as a designated hitter. But through his hard work and dedication, he has turned himself into a quality player in left field. Combined with his hitting, this makes him quite simply one of the best players in the game right now.”

Alvarez recently sat down with MLB.com to discuss his career, his life away from baseball and his future, with the help of interpreter Jenloy Herrera:

Q: How would you sum up your season, especially that first half when you were swinging it so well and were able to get a new contract?

A: “I think it’s been a satisfactory season, God willing. The first half was really good for me. The second half wasn’t what we all expected.”

Q: You got to go to your first All-Star game this year. Is that something you had set out as a goal when you came over here from Cuba and reached the big leagues? What did that experience mean to you?

A: “Honestly, no. When I got there, I was just focused on playing baseball and doing the things right. Obviously, after a certain amount of time being in the Major Leagues and playing well, it’s something you start thinking about a little bit more. I was fortunate enough to be able to play well and be selected to the All-Star Game.”

Q: Also, in the middle of the season, the Astros signed you to a contract extension that will keep you in Houston through the 2028 season. What did it mean to you to sign with the Astros and does the contract come now with more expectations?

A: “The process, it took a couple of months, and the team and I were able to agree and I was able to sign the extension. In terms of what I’ve been doing, I don’t think things are going to change. I always try to do the best I can to help out the team on the field. I’m not going to say that I’m going to do less or I’m going to try to do more. I’m just going to continue doing what I’ve been doing.”

Q: How have you liked living in Houston so far? How have you settled in, and what are some of your favorite parts about the city while you go around?

A: “When we got here first, we were impressed with the amount of people that speak our language (Spanish). That’s something that definitely helped me and my family get a little bit more comfortable. After I started playing and getting support from all the fans here, that was something that also helped me and made the decision a little bit easier for me, and then speaking with my wife, for me to be able to stay here.”

Q: Do people recognize you around town? What kind of reactions do you get when you’re out to dinner and things like that?

A: “The way people see me isn’t usually the same way I see myself. It’s something that you forget. I go outside and somebody will see me and go, ‘Oh wow, it’s actually him.’ It’s kind of one of the things you have to get used to a little bit. Maybe I’ll go into the store and they come and follow me into the store and are surprised it’s me, but I try just to take pictures with the fans whenever I see them outside.”

Q: How do you see yourself?

A: “I just see myself as normal. From the fans’ perspective, I may be one of their best players. It’s definitely different. I can equate it a little bit when I was in the Minors and would see [Jose] Altuve work out and was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s actually Altuve.’ But now, like me being here, I just think of myself as a normal person and obviously, just tell guys to treat me as a normal person. But obviously, for the fans it’s not the same.”

Q: Your mother and father got to attend a game at Minute Maid Park earlier this season and see you play professional baseball for the first time. Looking back on it, how special was that, and what was their reaction to the way the crowd cheered for you and seeing people wear your jerseys in the stands?

A: “It was very special, obviously. For me, it’s still one of those things that I’m not used to. I finish a game and I can actually see my mom and my dad and give them a hug. And sometimes when I’m playing I can forget about it, and then the game ends and they’re there for me. So it is still one of those things that I’m still trying to get accustomed to, like the support of the fans. They’re incredible.”

Q: Growing up in Cuba, who did you look up to? Or who were your baseball heroes that you tried to be like?

Q: “That’s a question I’ve gotten a lot. It’s actually really interesting -- and some people might think of me being arrogant for it -- but I would always tell people that I’ve never had a favorite player growing up, that I would say that I was my own favorite player. But like, honestly, growing up I never said I wanted to be like X player. I was just thinking about being the best player.”

Q: What are your goals for the rest of your career now that you’re going to be with the Astros for a long time? Is there anything you’re shooting for beyond winning championships?

A: “I think the easy one is to win a World Series here. Being able to go to two World Series (2019, 2021) and being so close and not winning one is tough. But [I] definitely want to win a world championship here. Even for me, being so close, you hear players who played in the Majors for 20 years and have never been to a World Series. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in two and still haven’t won, but [I] still definitely want to win a championship. If it were up to me, I would play here for my whole career. Sometimes there are things that happen that are out of my control -- and I don’t want to get ahead of myself too much -- but if things, hopefully, go well, God will smile down upon us and we’ll win here.”