Altuve high:
Houston’s elite second baseman has become MVP candidate
Newfound power is pushing the energetic Astros second baseman toward MVP consideration.
Few top the Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve for first-half highlights leading up to next week’s All-Star Game in San Diego.
At press time, the second baseman was the likely starting second baseman for the American League, but first he’s starring in a clip worthy of America’s Funniest Home Videos.
“I’m sure that will be saved in the archives to be played on the big screen when Jose needs a little humility,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch says. “He’s the most humble guy on our team, but we will use it to our advantage.”
Altuve was a triple shy of the cycle against the Kansas City Royals on June 25. When he smoked a ball to the left-centerfield gap in his final at-bat, the race to third was on.
Just before Altuve reached second base, his helmet flipped off and clipped his heels. Soon he was leaving a body mark near the bag after a near face-plant in the dirt.
“That was pretty funny,” catcher Jason Castro says. “I wish he wouldn’t have stumbled and got the triple. But that being said, it was pretty funny to watch.”
Adds smiling teammate George Springer: “I let Altuve have it.”
It’s one thing for Altuve, the 2014 American League batting champion, to absorb a ribbing from teammates. But Albert Pujols, too? Last week, the Los Angeles Angels massive first baseman (6-3, 240 pounds) was giving Houston’s second baseman (5-6, 165) the business about Altuve’s baserunning blunder.
During batting practice, Pujols pointed at Altuve, brought his bat up like a rifle and fired off an imaginary round toward second base.
The pair shared a laugh. That’s something pitchers don’t do when Altuve strolls to the plate. Not with his .351 average with 14 homers and 49 RBI.
“He is up there playing PlayStation,” says Springer, the Astros right fielder. “He is the only guy I’ve played with that can put the ball where he wants. If they shift him one way, he hits it the other way. He just has that hit gene.”
Altuve, signed as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2008, played his first full season as the Astros second baseman in 2012. He has always been a strong hitter for average (.310 for his career) but slugged only .399 that first season, and his slugging percentage slipped to .363 the next.
The next three seasons, it has steadily climbed, reaching what would be a career high of .568 this year, which ranked him sixth in the AL.
“He is very goal-oriented,” Hinch says. “He sets his standards very high, he chases being great, and that has never stopped since the day I met him.
“He said he wanted to win a batting title, and he went out and did it. He said he wanted to win a Gold Glove, and he went out and did it. He didn’t publicly state that he wanted to hit these home runs, but one of the beautiful parts of Altuve is there is always something he is working on.”
In 2014, he hit .341. Last season, he had a career-high 15 homers and 66 RBI (totals he is on pace to easily surpass in 2016) and won his first Gold Glove.
“It’s really remarkable to watch him get better and better even though he is starting at a point that is already elite,” Hinch says.
While he’s doing it, his cap is often askew, his grin is constant. He has been playful with Mike Trout, the Angels’ perennial MVP candidate, on the basepaths and even yanked the Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera’s shirttail out when leading off from first.
“I don’t know what it is, but baseball is what I love to do, what we have done all our life,” Altuve says. “It is just fun.”
For years, Trout has known there is nothing undersized about Altuve’s swing, which starts from a slightly open stance.
“He is an incredible hitter,” Trout says. “I played against him in the minors, so I knew. He was good back then, so I knew he had the potential. He swings hard, is aggressive at the plate, and he barrels up baseballs.”
Altuve, 26, was set to play in his fourth All-Star Game.
“I’ “It always feels like the first time because you are playing with the best players in the major leagues,” he says.
Altuve is having an MVP-caliber season as the Astros try to keep the AL West-leading Texas Rangers within reach. Houston had gone 27-13 since May 24 to climb into the middle of the AL wild-card race.
“I feel like I have to prove my- self every year,” Altuve says. “I don’t know why, it’s just the way I like to do it. I don’t want to get too comfortable in the league, and I want to keep getting better.”
Altuve is a catalyst as he complements the hot prospects produced by the Astros’ deep farm system including shortstop Carlos Correa, Springer and starting pitcher Lance McCullers.
“He is a model guy to have on the team as a manager because of the way he works and how he prepares,” Hinch says. “He cares a lot. He cares about his teammates. I love that fact that he will never take credit, but he will feel responsible if we don’t score or don’t hit.”
Altuve has had just one multi-strikeout game this season while enjoying 34 multihit games.
“You are born, you pay taxes and Jose is going to get two hits,” teammate Evan Gattis says.
Since June 14, the Astros have hit Altuve third and Correa, last season’s AL rookie the year, fourth. Altuve has hit .386 (27for-70) since then, while Correa has hit .284 (19-for-67) with five homers and 19 RBI.
“He wants to get a hit every time,” Correa says. “He will go 1-for-3 and be mad, and I say, ‘Why are you mad?’ It’s because of those other two at-bats.”
His on-field-demeanor, though, is often loose and easygoing. Altuve and Trout had a good chuckle at second base last week. Trout hit a potential triple and tripped, just like Altuve, when rounding second base.
Altuve, wearing a sheepish grin, locked eyes with an embarrassed Trout as he scampered back. The two players grinned, with Trout playfully placing both hands on Altuve’s head.
He knew how Trout felt. Houston has the video from last week to prove it.