HOUSTON -- Those who know Astros designated hitter/outfielder Yordan Alvarez the best insist that the intimidating slugger that most people see on the field each day is nothing like the warmhearted teammate they see behind the scenes.

“He looks like a mean ogre, but he’s a teddy bear inside,” said veteran utility player Mauricio Dubón, who’s a close friend of Alvarez.

Dubón tells stories of going to Alvarez’s house for cookouts, where he prepares delicious steaks. Astros manager Joe Espada talks with pride when discussing the family man Alvarez has become. All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve admires how well Alvarez can keep his emotions in check.

“He never gets mad,” Altuve said. “He’s just an amazing teammate on and off the field.”

Alvarez’s off-the-field persona is what endears him to his teammates, but it’s his on-the-field prowess with the bat that strikes fear into the opposition. After missing the All-Star Game the previous two years because of injuries, Alvarez was voted to be the starter for the American League at DH in the MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

“I’m very excited,” Alvarez said. “I think I was a little bit anxious about being a starter in the All-Star Game, and thanks to God, it was able to happen. I was very excited I was able to be healthy this year and actually be able to participate in the game.”

Alvarez was elected to the AL squad with Astros teammates Kyle Tucker, who will miss the game while recovering from a shin contusion, and Altuve, who will skip the game to let his banged-up left hand fully heal. Altuve, a nine-time All-Star, was struck on the hand by a pitch July 5 in Minneapolis.

Alvarez, 27, already has three All-Star Game selections under his belt in a little more than five years in the Major Leagues. He made his debut June 9, 2019, and quickly became one of the game’s most feared sluggers, winning AL Rookie of the Year unanimously. He’s been a fixture in Houston’s lineup since and has hit some of the biggest homers in franchise history, including his mammoth three-run shot in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series.

“I think it’s one of those things it feels like it’s been a lot longer time than it actually has been,” Alvarez said. “The only reason I say that is I came up and three months later I was already playing in the playoffs with this team. I already had a responsibility. I already had a role in this lineup. Obviously, throughout the time, I’ve had highs and lows that really shape me as a person and as a player, and I think that without those experiences and all those highs and lows, I wouldn’t be the player that I am right now.”

Altuve has considered Alvarez to be one of the best pure hitters, not just best sluggers, in baseball for the last couple of years.

“In 2019, when he came up and won Rookie of the Year, he was already good, but the fact he’s getting mature and better and learning about everything is making him a better hitter,” Altuve said. “I always say he’s one of the top three best hitters. He’s a line-drive hitter with some power. He can do everything. He can run and you don’t have to take him out for defense because he plays really good defense, too. I think he’s an overall good player, not just a great hitter.”

Through Wednesday’s game (he didn’t play Thursday because of a sore hip), Alvarez was slashing .297/.382/.539 with 19 homers and 51 RBIs. After posting a .776 OPS in May with two homers, Alvarez has rebounded to hit .339/.441/.686 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs since June 1, a stretch in which the Astros have posted the best record in baseball at 24-11.

“As a team, I think I’m just very satisfied with the way we’ve been able to turn it around and we’ve been able to change the script there a little bit,” he said. “On the personal side, I can’t say that I’m really satisfied with a lot of things. … People know I haven’t been as consistent as I’ve normally been, so I’m not very happy when it comes to those things. But I’m very happy the team was able to turn things around.”

Says Altuve: “If he stays healthy, I think he can have a great career and not only be an MVP, but a Hall of Famer, too.”