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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried is pulled during the sixth inning in Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez is hit by a pitch during the seventh inning in Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Houston Astros relief pitcher Phil Maton reacts after Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman grounds out to end the top of the seventh inning in Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Albies was charged with an error, a run scored on the play, and the Astros, with runners on second and third following a successful double steal, were on the cusp of a big inning. "Jose Altuve recorded his 1st 4-hit game of the season, last, Oct. 2, 2021 vs OAK...since he entered the league in 2…" – via Twitter. Originally listed at 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m), Altuve is now listed at his correct height of 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m), making him the shortest active player in Major League Baseball, and the shortest since Freddie Patek retired following the 1981 season.
The Astros won the 2015 wild-card game in the Bronx and beat the Yankees in seven games in the 2017 ALCS before winning their first title. Gurriel, a holdover from Houston's 2017 championship team, was 1 for 20 to start the ALCS before his drive in the first inning. He jumped all over a high-and-tight fastball from opener Chad Green, and his shot into the Crawford Boxes was his first connection this postseason. Right fielder Josh Reddick dived for Brett Gardner's liner for the second out of the sixth.
Jose Altuve
Plagued with a right knee injury, the Astros announced that Altuve would serve as the designated hitter for the remainder of the season. In 137 games, Altuve finished with a .316 average, 13 home runs, and 61 RBI. In 161 games, Altuve had an MLB-leading 216 hits, an AL-leading .338 batting average, 30 stolen bases. He also found a power surge with 42 doubles (the second most of his career and his third straight season with 40+ doubles), a career-high 24 home runs, and a career-high 96 RBI. On June 29, 2014, Altuve stole two bases in a game against the Detroit Tigers.
He also hit two home runs, stole seven bases, and posted a .358 slugging percentage in 221 at-bats. For the 2022 regular season, Altuve batted .300, reaching the mark for the first time since 2018, and tied his career high with 66 walks in 141 games. He finished eighth in the AL in batting, fourth in each of OBP (.387), SLG (.533) and OPS (.921), and third in OPS+ . He also ranked second both with 103 runs scored and stolen base percentage (94.74, 18-for-19), eighth in doubles , and tenth in total bases . Altuve won his fourth Luis Aparicio Award, and was nominated for the AL Hank Aaron Award. In 77 total plate appearances during the 2021 playoffs, Altuve tied the record held by Carlos Beltran for most runs scored in one postseason with 21 runs.
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Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies waits for a pop out from Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker to end the third inning in Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez strikes out to lead off the third inning in Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton pitches during the second inning in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Atlanta Braves pitcher Jesse Chavez pitches to Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado during the sixth inning in Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
In Game 1 of the ALDS against the Boston Red Sox, Altuve hit three home runs in a single game for the first time of his career while becoming the tenth player to hit three home runs in a single postseason game. The Astros faced the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series . After taking the first two games in Houston, with Altuve scoring the winning run in Game 2, Altuve and the Astros offense slumped as they lost all three middle games at Yankee Stadium.
2017 ALDS Game 1 vs Boston at Minute Maid Park
Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly strikes out the first Atlanta Braves batter during the eighth inning go Game 2 of the World Series at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, in Houston. Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman and first baseman Yuli Gurriel high-five teammates after defeating the Atlanta Braves 7-2 during Game 2 of the World Series at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, in Houston. Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa and Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve celebrate at the end of the Astros 7-2 win of Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
In 2014, he became the first player in over 80 years to reach 130 hits and 40 stolen bases before the All-Star Game. That same season, he became the first Astro to win a batting title, leading the AL with a .341 average. From Maracay, Venezuela, Altuve played for the Venezuelan national team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic . He holds the record for postseason home runs among second basemen and infielders with 23, which is second all-time in postseason history while being the fastest to do so in games played. 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 160. As part of an era that has seen the Astros win two World Series titles and four pennants in six seasons, Altuve is widely regarded as one of the greatest Astros in franchise history, and one of the best second basemen of his generation.
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Willie Calhoun went 2-for-4 and singled in designated runner Jonah Heim with the winning run in the 10th inning to give Texas a victory over Minnesota in Minneapolis. The Astros had runners at first and third against Chad Green (0-3) when Altuve came up to another round of profane chants from the limited capacity crowd. After fouling off a fastball, the second baseman hammered a full-count fastball into the left-field seats.
The teams combined to use 14 pitchers in a drawn-out game that lasted 4 hours, 9 minutes. Astros ace Gerrit Cole was waiting to pitch a potential Game 7 on Sunday. Instead, the postseason star — undefeated since May 22 — can be lined up for Game 1 at home against the NL champion Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. Altuve homered off Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth inning and Houston outlasted the New York Yankees 6-4 Saturday night to advance to the World Series for the second time in three years. Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros celebrates with Alex Bregman #2 after hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the 2017 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Minute Maid Park on October 29, 2017 in Houston. Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (#27) celebrates a home run in game 7 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
On April 12, Altuve connected for his second career grand slam, and first since 2014, in a 10–6 win over the Seattle Mariners. Altuve would hit another home run off of Félix Hernández the next night, making it the fifth consecutive game with a home run and sixth home run in that span. Altuve was the first Astro to hit a home run in five consecutive games since Morgan Ensberg's franchise-record six consecutive games in 2006. On July 8, 2018, Altuve was selected as the starting second baseman for the American League in the All-Star Game, collecting the most votes of any player with 4,849,630 votes. It was his 6th All-Star selection overall and his 5th consecutive appearance and 4th straight start. On July 29, Altuve was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his MLB career due to right knee discomfort.
The Astros led the Yankees after each of the first eight innings in Game 6 of the 2019 ALCS, but New York was able to plate two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game up. Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman—who was coming off his sixth of seven All-Star seasons, and who hadn't allowed a run in his previous eight playoff appearances—walked Springer with two outs, bringing Altuve to the plate. In what was perhaps the most memorable home game in Astros postseason history, Altuve came up big for his team once again.
He served as the Astros' number three hitter during the 2017 season. Over two games versus the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies on July 23–24, he set the club record for hits in consecutive plate appearances with eight. For his performance in the month of June 2016, Altuve was named AL Player of the Month for the first time in his career. He had batted .420, six doubles, four home runs, 15 RBI, six stolen bases and 1.112 OPS (.492 OBP/.620 SLG) in 26 games. He became an All-Star selection for the fourth time of his career, and started for the second consecutive time.
Houston tacked on seven more runs in the ninth to secure the victory and tie the series at two games apiece. The 2018 ALDS was about as dominant as it gets for the Astros, who swept the Cleveland Indians in three games with a plus-15 run differential. Altuve helped his team get off to a strong start in this series, hitting a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth of Game 1 to put Houston up four fun in a 7-2 victory. Heading into the 2022 ALCS, Altuve ranks second all-time with 23 postseason home runs (and tops in first-inning playoff blasts).
He was also the first second baseman and first Astro ever to win it. For the second consecutive season, he won the Players Choice Awards for Major League Player of the Year and AL Outstanding Player. He won his fourth consecutive and overall Silver Slugger Award at second base. 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.
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