Jose Altuve had the sort of performance on Wednesday that he has had before. In fact, he has had this type of performance 33 other times in his career, collecting four hits as he was a catalyst for the Houston Astros offense. It was a solid day, but not necessarily one that would generate headlines.
Except that his four hit day was not quite like the others. With his 4-4 performance against the Red Sox, Altuve tied Craig Biggio for the most four hit games in franchise history.
Jose Altuve ties Houston Astros franchise mark
It was not that long ago when people were questioning if Altuve had anything left. He posted a miserable 71 OPS+ in 210 plate appearances in 2020, that performance coming after AstroGate broke. The timing of his dropoff, coupled with the theory that he was wearing a buzzer to alert him to specific pitches, led to plenty of speculation about his future.
Altuve has answered those questions in the subsequent years. He was back to his typical form in 2021, posting an All Star caliber year while earning MVP votes. Although his days of collecting 200 hits a season may be over, he proved that he can still be a valuable part of the lineup.
He has been even better thus far in 2022. Altuve is looking more like his early self, posting a .280/.365/.510 batting line in his 386 plate appearances. His OPS+ is the highest it has been since his MVP season in 2017. It is safe to say that those earlier reports of his demise were grossly overexaggerated.
Altuve is 32 years old now. His theoretical peak is coming to a close. But he is also showing that same batting eye and plate discipline. As he is signed through 2024, and is likely to remain with the Astros for his entire career, it would not be a surprise to see him get another four hit game and have the record to himself.
Jose Altuve has tied Craig Biggio for the most four hit games in Houston Astros history. It may be a matter of time before the record is his alone.