On Monday, Jose Altuve showed up at the Astros’ spring training camp. Houston’s perennial second baseman is entering his 13th MLB season as an Astro and will once again serve as the spark for Dusty Baker’s lineup in 2023.
Year after year, Altuve is putting up big numbers without making much noise and has become the face of the franchise in the modern era, joining the Biggios, the Bagwells, the Ryans and the Berkmans.
I have to quote some great words from Martín Maldonado this morning in camp when asked about what Altuve meant to the Astros:
“The face of the franchise. I walked in today, and I said I can’t believe that guy is one of the best hitters in the game. If someone is walking around the mall and sees Altuve walking, they don’t know anything about baseball, you wouldn’t think that guy is the face of the Houston Astros franchise. No one would think that. That guy has a chance to get 3000 views. Like I told him today: I think you’re going to hit .320, .330 again. Now he is batting for power. It gets better every year.”
Martín Maldonado asked what Jose Altuve means to the Astros: “The face of the franchise. I came in today and said I can’t believe that guy is one of the best hitters in the game. If someone is walking down the mall and sees Altuve walking, I don’t know anything… pic.twitter.com/vC33leT4nC
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) February 19, 2023
Altuve is 32 years old and will turn 33 on May 6, but has somehow remained an elite player over the years. In 2022, his batting average climbed back to .300 for the first time since 2018 (.316) and his OPS jumped nearly 100 points, from .839 to .921.
Despite not being a regular power hitter, Altuve is eight home runs shy of 200 career bombs and 21 doubles shy of 400. And certainly, Jose will have a shot at 3,000 hits at some point if he stays healthy and productive for the rest of his career. . race
The sticking point for the Astros will be reaching an agreement with Altuve to become an Astro for life, as his contract expires after the 2024 season, following his age 34 campaign. Maybe a three- or four-year deal could do it for Altuve to retire as an Astro.
It will be special to see what Altuve can accomplish for the rest of his career and how the Astros front office can structure a deal after 2024.
(Editor’s Note: In all of Altuve’s articles, we remind our readers that the data and testimony show that ALTUVE DID NOT CHEAT)