What happened: Yordan Alvarez has built a sizable gap atop the majors' OPS leaderboard, according to MLB's own tracking. The Astros slugger has separated himself from the rest of the field through this stretch of the season.

Why it matters: Houston continues to lean on Alvarez as its offensive anchor heading into the trade deadline. Chandler Rome has reported that the Astros are exploring lineup fixes and that "nothing is off the table," including a possible move of Alvarez to left field.

What to watch: Watch for how Houston addresses its lineup construction before the deadline, with Alvarez's leaderboard standing raising the stakes on any roster move.