The early positioning for the 2026 American League Most Valuable Player Award, as tracked by the season’s first metrics, belongs to Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez. For a player who has consistently posted elite exit velocities and on-base numbers but has fought injuries, an early lead carries different weight than for a durable speedster. Alvarez, per the early data reported by sources including Deadspin, has sustained his power output while playing through a full schedule. This start suggests the Astros are leveraging his bat more heavily as their core ages. The unresolved tension: whether Alvarez can maintain this production through September, or whether the physical toll of a six-month season will erode a lead built before the All-Star break.