After a slow and injury-riddled start to the 2019 MLB season, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is back and better than ever.
The Houston Astros are poised to go deep into the postseason. Especially considering that their top two starters, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander, are one and two in the AL Cy Young award race. Now, just in time for the postseason, veteran second baseman Jose Altuve has arrived and few people have noticed.
Earlier this season, Altuve landed on the injured list for more than a month with a left hamstring strain. It ultimately will result in the least amount of games he’s played in a single season since 2011, his rookie season.
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Perhaps it was the injury, but the start of the season was a rather rough one for Altuve. In his first 57 games, Altuve slashed just .256 / .320 / .453. Compare this to his career average of .315 / .365 / .463 and it was clear that something wasn’t quite right with the second baseman.
What’s more, in that same span he managed to score just 31 runs and had just 57 hits.
However, since then, Altuve has turned it on… big time.
In fact, in the 56 games since, Altuve is slashing .353 / .406 / .659. More impressively, he has 82 hits in that same span and has scored 55 runs. He’s not only back to his old self, but he’s also better than ever and his timing couldn’t be better.
The Houston Astros have just 13 games left in the regular season and are currently on pace to face the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS — if the New York Yankees retain possession of the best record in the American League.
In featuring a lineup with the likes of 2019 AL MVP contender Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, Michael Brantley, George Springs, and Jose Altuve plus a rotation with two Cy Young contenders and Zack Greinke, the Houston Astros are looking like the team to beat.