José Altuve ranks fifth in our 975-player series
José Altuve (Bagwell score (79.07) is a five-foot-six right-handed second baseman from Puerto Cabello, VZ. Born on May 6, 1990, Altuve is super-well documented as the shortest player in Houston major league history, but once he got up to the parent club, it never mattered again.
Altuve reached the majors with the worst-case-scenario for the Astros, in year one of the teardown. Still, I can’t help but think that the bottom-feeding 2011 version of the Houston Astros gave Altuve a much better chance than any other team would have, even the Astros in most other years. As it stands, I count my lucky stars that they were terrible that year, for just that reason.
Altuve appeared in 57 games in his rookie season for Houston, starting 51 games at second base (460 2⁄3 innings, .991). As a hitter, he slashed .276/.297/.357, going 61-for-221 with 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs, and seven stolen bases in 10 attempts. He drew five walks and struck out 29 times, with 26 runs scored and another 12 driven home. On July 27, batting second, Altuve singled with one out in the third, then hit a go-ahead ninth-inning two-out two-run single, to top the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-2.
In 2012, Altuve made the All-Star Team for the first time (but not the last). He started in 142 of his 147 appearances at second base (1226 2⁄3 innings, .984). At the dish, he went 167-for-576 with a .290/.340/.399 slashline, with 34 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, and an NL-seventh 33 stolen bases in 44 attempts. He drew 40 walks and struck out 74 times, with 80 runs scored and 37 RBI.
On April 25, Altuve hit three singles and a double, scoring three runs and knocking one in, in a 7-5 win against the Milwaukee Brewers. On June 5, he hit two singles and two doubles, scoring three runs in a 9-8 win against the Cards. On August 6, he drew a walk, stole a base, and scored in the sixth, singled in the eighth, and hit a game-tying RBI-single with one out in the ninth in an eventual 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals.
Altuve played in 152 games in 2013, starting 145 times at second base (1261 2⁄3 innings, .987, AL-leading 273 putouts, 114 double plays) and seven times at designated hitter. He slashed .283/.316/.363, going 177-for-626 with 31 doubles, two triples, five home runs, and an NL-sixth 35 stolen bases in 48 attempts. He drew 32 walks and struck out 85 times, crossing the plate 64 times and knocking 52 runs home.
