Yordan Alvarez will arrive in Tampa Bay on Friday with 15 games remaining in the regular season and a Triple Crown still within reach.
He’ll also arrive one home run behind the man in his way.
Junior Caminero leads the American League with 39 home runs, one ahead of Alvarez’s 38. Beginning Friday, the two will spend three games on opposite sides of the same field as the Astros open a weekend series against the Rays.
And the home-run race isn’t the only part of the Triple Crown that is coming down to the wire.
Where Yordan Stands
Alvarez leads the American League with a .312 batting average. Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson is close behind at .308, while teammate Yandy Díaz is hitting .305.
The RBI race is even tighter. Pete Alonso leads the AL with 97, just one ahead of Alvarez’s 96. Caminero isn’t far behind with 93.
That leaves Alvarez leading one Triple Crown category and just one away from the lead in each of the other two:
Batting average: Alvarez .312; Simpson .308; Díaz .305
Home runs: Caminero 39; Alvarez 38; Ben Rice 36
RBI: Alonso 97; Alvarez 96; Caminero 93
The Rays Series Adds Another Layer
For most of the season, Alvarez’s Triple Crown competitors have been names on a leaderboard. This weekend, several of them will be in the other dugout.
Caminero presents the most obvious matchup. He holds a one-homer advantage over Alvarez, giving Yordan three games against Tampa Bay to try to reclaim a share of the lead while Caminero attempts to extend it.
The batting race adds another wrinkle. Simpson and Díaz give the Rays two players within seven points of Alvarez, meaning three of the AL’s leading hitters will share the same field throughout the series.
Caminero is also lurking in the RBI race, just three behind Alvarez and four behind Alonso.
Fifteen Games to Go
With 15 games remaining, none of the three races is settled.
Alvarez leads Simpson by four points in batting average and trails the leaders by one in both home runs and RBI. A big weekend—or a quiet one—could change the picture considerably.
No major-league hitter has won a Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera led the American League in batting average, home runs, and RBI in 2012.
For Alvarez, the path to becoming the next one now runs directly through Tampa Bay. And for three games, some of his closest competition will be standing right across the field.
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