Yordan Alvarez DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Houston Astros designated hitterYordan Alvarezwent 2-3 with a solo HR and two runs against the Washington Nationals on Saturday. The solo shot was his first homer of the spring. With the two-hit game on Saturday, Alvarez increased his batting average to .400 with a 1.071 OPS in 15 at-bats. He is expected to hit second in Houston's order this year after primarily hitting from the three spot in 2023. ATC projects Alvarez to be very productive yet again with 39 HR and 107 RBI with a .296/.397/.593 slash line. With an NFBC ADP of 14.7, Alvarez will be a crucial part of fantasy managers' rosters and is a surefire top-15 pick heading into 2024 fantasy drafts.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said his plan right now is to bat outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez second in the batting order this year. The ideal top four of Espada's lineup is second baseman Jose Altuve at leadoff, followed by Alvarez, third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder Kyle Tucker. Alvarez hit mostly out of the third spot last year and is an RBI machine, racking up an incredible 298 RBI in the last three seasons for the Astros. The former American League Rookie of the Year in 2019 could see fewer chances to drive in runs hitting in the two-hole, but it won't be enough to drastically affect his fantasy appeal as one of the best overall hitters in baseball. The 26-year-old is a pretty big injury risk, but he should still come off the board late in the first round or early in the second round of fantasy drafts.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said on Thursday that he hopes that outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez can play more in left field in 2024. Alvarez made 40 starts in left field last season but didn't play there much in the second half after returning from an oblique injury. The 26-year-old oft-injured left-handed slugger isn't going to stay healthier with more time spent in the outfield, but the Astros may not have a choice if they're forced to move Chas McCormick to center field if Jake Meyers isn't producing. If Alvarez didn't spend so much time in the training room and missing games due to injuries, there would be a case to be made that he's the best pure hitter in the game for fantasy purposes. He played in 114 games in 2023 due to hand, arm and oblique injuries.