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Jose Altuve Holding Astros Back From Having Best Defensive Outfield in MLB

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 8:00 PM ET

The Houston Astros knew they were taking a risk when it was announced that Jose Altuve would be moving to left field as his primary position.

His waning athleticism was leading to some poor defensive numbers at second base. Looking to hide him, the team decided he would be better suited to playing in left field. Alas, the defensive woes have continued.

Altuve is among the worst defenders in baseball. His minus-5 Fielding Run Value is in the 19th percentile in the MLB on Baseball Savant. As shared by Fielding Bible, he has minus-13 Defensive Runs Saved, which is the worst on the team and ranked 1,394th in baseball out of 1,403 players. That means, only nine players in baseball this year have had less of a defensive impact than the Astros star.

Jose Altuve Is Killing Astros Defense

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As an outfielder, Altuve has minus-9 DRS, which is 313th out of 326. In only 353 innings as a second baseman, he has minus-4 DRS, which is tied for 291st out of 353 players. His defensive numbers are a major detriment to the team and are single-handedly holding the team back from having the best defensive outfield in the MLB.

The Astros are receiving elite defensive numbers in right field, a truly shocking development. Rookie Cam Smith, who was a third baseman only six months ago, is one of the best defensive players at his position in the MLB. He has 10 DRS, which is good for fourth.

Jesus Sanchez, who was acquired from the Miami Marlins ahead of the MLB trade deadline, is also an elite defender. He has eight DRS this season and is plus-4 with Houston. His performance defensively has been positive in both corner outfield spots.

In center field, Jake Meyers has been excellent once again. He is at six DRS in only 89 games and 713.2 innings. Currently battling a calf injury, he is nearing a return to the lineup after beginning rehab games this week. His return will help immensely, especially defensively.

Super utility man Mauricio Dubon has also been an elite defender when asked to play the outfield. His six DRS are behind only Smith amongst the team’s outfielders. His best position is left field, where he is plus-6. In center field he is minus-1 and in right field he is plus-1, both in limited action.

Joe Espada Has Difficult Lineup Decisions To Make

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At this point, the Astros would probably be better off giving as many designated hitter at-bats to Altuve as they can. Yordan Alvarez isn’t a highly regarded defender either, but he has done better than his teammate thus far this season. He has minus-1 DRS in 57 innings, but when adjusted for how many innings Altuve has played, that be about minus-6 DRS, which is three better.

Removing Altuve from the lineup altogether isn’t a realistic thing for manager Joe Espada to do. His bat remains too important to the team’s success offensively. But late-game replacements when it doesn’t look like he will be getting another at-bat needs to be deployed more often moving forward.

Doing that or not could be the difference between Houston winning or losing a close game, especially with the gulf that exists defensively between he and his teammates.