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The Houston Astros are off to one of the worst starts in years, sitting at the bottom of the American League West with a 6-11 record. While there’s of course hope this team will turn things around, fans are certainly concerned.
But, the early-season struggles aren’t anything new to veteran Jose Altuve, who has gone through losing times in H-Town as well before the franchise became a consistent contender. Speaking Sunday after a win over the Texas Rangers, Astros manager Joe Espada explained why Altuve is so important both on and off the field amid the ball club’s struggles.
Via The Athletic:
“This is nothing for Jose,” manager Joe Espada said Sunday. “He’s able to share those experiences when they were not winning a ton of games and then where we are now, how resiliency is important for us to get through these tough stretches.”
Jose Altuve has seen it all with Astros
The Astros signed Altuve as an undrafted free agent in 2007 and he ultimately made his MLB debut in 2011. The first four seasons for the Venezuelan in Houston were not pretty, losing over 100 games in three of those years. Altuve knows exactly what it feels like to lose a lot. In total, the second baseman lost 416 games between 2011 and 2014. Oh, how things changed.
Houston has been in the ALCS in seven straight years and has two World Series titles during that span, with Altuve playing a crucial part. Despite their sluggish start, the 33-year-old is raking, hitting .382 with five homers and seven RBI. Altuve took Nathan Eovaldi deep twice on Sunday, finishing 3 for 5 on the day. He has seven multi-hit games already in 2024 and ranks second in the Majors in average behind only Justin Turner.
Sunday was the Astros’ second victory in a row and Altuve knows how vital it is for him to set the tone at the top of the lineup:
“Every time you do something to help your team, especially in the situation we were (in) a few days ago, it feels good,” Altuve said. “We’re trying to click as a team, flip things around and start winning, so it was good to do stuff like that.”
Mauricio Dubon, who joined Houston in 2022, has been extremely impressed with Altuve’s production:
“I told him the last time I saw him playing like this (was from) the other side, and it was fun to watch,” said Dubon. “He goes, we go. Hitting is contagious. He goes, everyone goes. That’s why he’s Jose.”
The Astros will have a tall task ahead. They begin a three-game set with the NL powerhouse Atlanta Braves on Monday, which should be a good test. Espada’s group will need Altuve to keep swinging it well. Like Dubon said, hitting is contagious, especially when your leadoff hitter is squaring up baseballs on a consistent basis.
Also, Houston is on the verge of getting Justin Verlander back while Framber Valdez is expected to return later this month. Better times appear to be ahead for one of the American League’s best teams, even if the results haven’t been there.
More must-reads:
- Three MLB teams that should push the panic button
- Mets dealing with unique uniform issue this spring
- The 'Active MLB strikeout leaders' quiz
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