Yordan Alvarez is driving toward a Triple Crown, but he's happiest driving his family's RV

HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez is one of baseball’s biggest stars: the frontrunner for AL MVP with a strong chance of becoming baseball's first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012.

Comfortable as the Cuban-born slugger looks driving in runs for the Houston Astros , his real happy place isn't the batter's box.

It's the driver's seat of his family's RV.

“People don’t recognize me, that’s the good thing,” he told The Associated Press. “I think that’s why I love the lifestyle because I can do whatever I want and no one bothers me.”

After long seasons of jam-packed stadiums, chartered flights and upscale hotels, Alvarez looks forward to a decidedly less glamorous offseason, stopping at remote campgrounds where he likes to hunt and fish. Not that he's roughing it, exactly — the Grand Design RV model he drives starts at around $230,000 and features a full kitchen, bedroom and nicely appointed bathroom. But surely, his fellow campers might be surprised to learn the guy parked next door is a four-time All-Star and the 2021 AL Championship Series MVP.

Driving the RV was “scary” at first, but Alvarez said after the first week “it was like a normal car.” He’s since downsized to a smaller one that is easier to drive but that still affords him the freedom that’s hard to find in his everyday life. The family adventured around Florida last year, and he even lived out of the RV during the Astros spring training this year in West Palm Beach. He parked at a friend's house right on the water where he could fish after workouts and bragged about a big snapper he caught that he prepared and ate.

“I don’t see myself like a big star,” he said. “I just try to be normal, like a normal person and try to do fun things and whatever I want with my family.”

Alvarez is as feared by pitchers as any hitter in baseball, and not just for his imposing 6-foot-4 frame. He's famously cool-headed, even in the most tense situations, a reputation earned through repeated October excellence.

Baseball is certainly important to Alvarez, but family is everything to the 29-year-old husband and father of two. It’s a mindset that Houston manager Joe Espada believes is a big reason why Alvarez can easily navigate the ups and downs of arduous MLB seasons.

“He’s able to do what he’s doing and be able to stay calm because he’s got other things ahead of baseball,” Espada said. “He really cares about his family, kids, his parents, like baseball on his list is in the bottom and that allows him to keep things in perspective and allows him to go out there and just relax and play and have fun.”

Alvarez is having plenty of fun this season as he’s led the Astros to first place in the AL West. He tops the AL in batting average (.316) and RBIs (94) and his 37 home runs are tied for first with Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero.

He isn’t just leading in the Triple Crown categories. Alvarez is also first in the AL in nine other offensive categories including slugging percentage (.603), OPS (1.035), total bases (296) and walks (96). He also leads the majors with 29 intentional walks this season, already a franchise record.

His success comes a year after he was limited to just 48 games because of a broken hand and an ankle injury. Watching most of last season from the dugout was upsetting for Alvarez and he made a vow to himself in the offseason.

“I put in my mind that I have to change this,” he said. “I have to try to stay on the field every single day.”

Alvarez is quiet and doesn’t show much emotion on the field. But those who know him well say that hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of the most important leaders on the team.

“He has a lot of powerful things to say,” Hall of Famer and Astros senior advisor Jeff Bagwell said. “I think he’s grown in the clubhouse. He’s just a special human being that I think we all need to just appreciate.”

Bagwell is the only other Astro to have come anywhere close to winning a Triple Crown. He was named NL MVP in the strike-shortened 1994 season when he ranked first in RBIs and second in batting average and home runs.

He’s developed a close relationship with Alvarez in his eight seasons with the Astros and is excited about the possibility of him becoming a Triple Crown winner.

“There’s not been many people that have been able to do that, so it transcends the Astros, but for him to do it in this uniform, I couldn’t be more proud,” Bagwell said. “I love him as a player. I love him as a person. I couldn’t be more happy that he wears our uniform and is doing what he’s doing.”

Espada said Alvarez holds an important role in the clubhouse. That includes elevating concerns not only about himself but also his teammates so they can work together to improve the team.

“He’s very vocal in a respectful way,” Espada said. “He’s very observant, and he opens his mouth when he’s got something really good that is going to change something. He’s not just going to talk to talk. There’s a purpose behind every word he says.”

One thing Alvarez absolutely does not want to discuss is his pursuit of history, nixing almost all questions about the Triple Crown.

“I know the possibility is there,” he said. “But I try to do my job, not focus on that. I just want to focus on my game.”

If he wins MVP, he’ll join Shohei Ohtani as the only players to have taken home the award while primarily serving as designated hitter.

“That tells you how good he is,” Bagwell said.

Growing up in Cuba, Alvarez couldn’t watch MLB games on television. Once he arrived in the United States in 2015, he started watching religiously, hoping he’d reach the majors one day. But even then, he never thought about winning an MVP or chasing a Triple Crown.

“I’m going to be honest, no, I never visualized all these things that are happening right now in my life,” he said. “I never visualized this.”

As the last month of the season gets underway with Alvarez slugging his way toward history, he tries not to reflect on what he’s already done but instead looks forward to helping the Astros make a playoff run after missing out last season.

But there’s one special person for whom he makes an exception when it comes to looking back. His 5-year-old son Jordan is beginning to understand that dad is a big deal and the two have a fun postgame ritual.

“After every single game, we go back home and the first thing he does is he puts on YouTube and searches Yordan Alvarez home run,” Alvarez said of the little boy who is his biggest fan. “So, he starts watching all of my home runs every single day. It makes him happy and that makes me happy."

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