Jose Altuve

Jose Carlos Altuve (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈtuβe]; born May 6, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Having played for the Astros since 2011, he is the longest-tenured current member of the team, and the only one to have been with the Astros since they were in the National League. Altuve is widely regarded as one of the greatest Astros in franchise history, and one of the best second basemen of all time. On the international stage, he has represented the Venezuelan national team in the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics (WBC).

Born and raised in Maracay, Venezuela, Altuve was signed by the Astros as an amateur free agent in 2007, and he made his major league debut in 2011. He is the shortest active MLB player, at 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m), and his listed weight is 166 pounds (75 kg). He has the most home runs for all players of his height in MLB history. Altuve quickly established himself as a premier contact hitter; from 2014 to 2017, Altuve recorded at least 200 hits each season (with his 225 hits in 2014 being an Astros record), leading the American League in the category each year, and won three batting championships (becoming the first Astro to win a batting title) in that span. In 2014, he became the first player in over 80 years to reach 130 hits and 40 stolen bases before the All-Star Game. He has also won seven Silver Slugger Awards, tied for the most all-time by a second baseman, and one Gold Glove.

In 2017, he won the AL Most Valuable Player Award and the Hank Aaron Award, and won the 2017 World Series with the Astros. In the same year, Altuve was Sports Illustrated's co-Sportsperson of the Year with J. J. Watt of the NFL's Houston Texans for helping to lead relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Other awards Altuve received in 2017 were the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year (making him the fifth player to be selected in consecutive years), and Baseball America's Major League Player of the Year. After hitting a walk-off home run to win the 2019 American League Championship Series, Altuve was awarded his first ALCS MVP, and would later win the 2022 World Series with the Astros. Although Altuve has received criticism for the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal, later reports have indicated that Altuve did not participate in the scheme.

Altuve's nine MLB All-Star selections are the most for an Astro, and he has been voted the starting second baseman in the All-Star Game six times, an achievement accomplished only by two other players in that position in American League history. He has twice led the AL in stolen bases. As part of an era that has seen the Astros win two World Series titles and four pennants in six seasons, Altuve has become one of the greatest postseason hitters in history; through the 2024 postseason, he ranks second all-time in postseason home runs (27), second in runs scored (89), third in hits (118), sixth in games played (105), and seventh in RBIs (56); ten of his home runs were go-ahead home runs (three in the ninth inning), the most in postseason history. He had 31 games with four hits from 2011 to 2021, the most among any player in that span in MLB, and he also has the most 3+ hit games in MLB since 2011 with over 200.

Early life

Altuve is a native of Maracay, Venezuela, and grew up there. At age seven, he met fellow future major leaguer Salvador Pérez, who became a catcher for the Kansas City Royals. The two competed together beginning in Maracay and many times in American League games.

Professional career

Minor leagues

At age 16, Altuve attended a Houston Astros tryout camp in Maracay. However, the team's scouts declined to allow him to participate because they decided he was too short and they suspected that he had lied about his age. The next day, with encouragement from his father, Altuve returned to the camp and produced his birth certificate. Al Pedrique, then a special assistant for the Astros, asked Altuve, "Can you play?" Altuve looked him in the eye and said, "I'll show you." Pedrique championed him to the front office, convincing them that he had the talent and strength to eventually play in the major leagues. The club gave him an evaluation, and, after he impressed team officials, they signed him to a contract as an international free agent on March 6 2007, with a $15,000 (USD, $23,000 today) bonus.

After a strong 2007 season in the Venezuelan Summer League in which he hit .343, Altuve moved to the United States in 2008 and hit .284 in 40 games for the Greeneville Astros in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He returned to Greeneville in 2009 and hit .324 with 21 stolen bases in just 45 games, earning him a spot on the league All-Star team, team most valuable player (MVP) honors, and a promotion to the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League for which he played in 21 games. He began 2010 with the Lexington Legends of the Class A South Atlantic League, hitting .308 with 39 steals and 11 home runs, earned a spot on the league all-star team, and then moved up to the Lancaster JetHawks in the Class A-Advanced California League and hit .276.

Returning to Lancaster for 2011, he hit .408 with 19 steals in 52 games. After being promoted to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Class AA Texas League, he hit .361, giving him an overall line of .389 with 24 steals, 26 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 357 minor league at-bats that year. He was named the second baseman on Baseball America's 2011 Minor League All-Star Team as well as the Houston Astros Minor League Player of the Year. Altuve was called up to the major league club in mid-summer, bypassing Class AAA level.

Houston Astros

2011

Altuve was tabbed to represent the Astros at the 2011 All-Star Futures Game in June and played the game on July 10. Nine days later, the Astros promoted Altuve to the major leagues on July 19, 2011. He started his first game on July 20, going 1-for-5 as the starting second baseman versus the Washington Nationals, collecting his first hit as a single off Tyler Clippard in the 9th inning. He was named the second baseman on Baseball America's 2011 Minor League All-Star team. On July 27, 2011, Altuve tied Russ Johnson for the Astros record for most consecutive games with a hit to start a career with 7. On August 20, 2011, Altuve hit an inside-the-park home run, his first major league home run. He became the first Astros player since Adam Everett in 2003 to hit an inside-the-park home run, the first Astros player to get his first major league home run on an inside-the-park home run since pitcher Butch Henry in 1992, and the first Astros player to lead off a game with an inside-the-park home run since Bill Doran in 1987. He batted .346 over his first 21 games before slumping a bit and ended the year with a .276 average. He also hit two home runs, stole seven bases, and posted a .358 slugging percentage in 221 at-bats.

Altuve returned to Venezuela to play for Navegantes del Magallanes, based in Valencia, Carabobo, in the Venezuelan Winter League. He hit .339 with a .381 on-base percentage and a .455 slugging percentage. Altuve finished 2011 with 898 aggregated plate appearances, including 391 in the minors, 234 with Houston, and 273 with the Magallanes. Altuve had 82 hits in winter league, bringing his cumulative year-end count to 282.

2012

On May 1, 2012, Altuve faced New York Mets reliever Jon Rauch, the tallest player in major league history at 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m). The 18-inch (460 mm) height difference is believed to be the biggest between pitcher and batter except for a 1951 publicity stunt in which a 3-foot-7-inch (1.09 m) Eddie Gaedel had one plate appearance for the St. Louis Browns. Altuve was the Astros' representative at the All-Star Game, played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. This was his first career selection in the final year that the team played in the National League prior to moving to the American League for 2013. In his first full year, he played 147 games and had 167 hits while batting. 290 with 33 stolen bases on 44 attempts.

2013

On July 13, 2013, Altuve signed a four-year, $12.5 million extension that included two club options for 2018 and 2019 worth $6 and $6.5 million, respectively. The deal also included a $750,000 bonus to be received in 2013. At the time of the extension, Altuve was hitting .280 with 21 stolen bases, 15 doubles, and 28 RBI. Altuve finished the season batting .283 in 152 games and stole 35 bases but led the league in caught stealing with 13.

2014

On June 29, 2014, Altuve stole two bases in a game against the Detroit Tigers. This made him the first MLB player since Ray Chapman in 1917 to steal two or more bases in four consecutive games. Altuve became the first MLB player since 1933 to have 130 hits and 40 stolen bases before the All-Star Break. Altuve was named to the 2014 All-Star Game. Coupled with his 2012 All-Star appearance in the Astros' final season as a National League team, Altuve is the only player in Major League history to represent both the American and National Leagues in the All-Star Game while still being a member of the same team.