Astros' Yordan Alvarez has chance to join two MLB legends with very rare history

The Houston Astros are sitting atop the AL West after a rough start to the season, thanks in part to Yordan Alvarez playing at an MVP-level right now.

He's on track to win the AL MVP and, maybe more notably, is on pace to secure rare history with MLB's Triple Crown, leading baseball in RBIs, batting average, and home runs. But that might not even be the rarest feat he's approaching this year.

According to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, Alvarez has a good chance to join Roger Hornsby and Carl Yastrzemski in MLB history as the only players to lead the AL or NL in a season in 10 specific categories.

Yordan Alvarez could join Yastrzemski and Hornsby in rare MLB history

"When this week began, this dude was leading the American League in 10 major categories... Average, Homers, RBIs, OBP, Slugging, OPS, Runs, Hits, Times on base, Total bases," Stark writes.

Dating back to 1920, when the RBI became an official statistic, only two players have accomplished such a feat before with these 10 statistics: Hornsby and Yastrzemski.

Alvarez currently, entering games on Thursday, August 20, leads the AL in homers with 36, RBIs with 88, batting average with .317, OBP at .430, SLG at .610, OPS at 1.040, total bases with 277, and times on base.

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He's lost the AL led in a few key categories. Miguel Vargas has 86 runs scored, while Alvarez has 83. It's close, so Alvarez has a real chance to catch him and retake the lead.

Hits is an even closer race, as Alvarez has 144 while Yandy Diaz has 146. Two more hits between August 20 and the end of the season are easy to make up.

Alvarez is a major frontrunner in the MVP race, and he has a really good chance to win the AL Triple Crown.

But for this feat of MLB history, leading the AL in all 10 of these categories Stark outlined, he does have some work to do. Alvarez can do it, and if he does accomplish this feat, it'd be another impressive anecdote to an all-time season in MLB history.

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