As baseball fans eagerly await the Hall of Fame results for former Houston Astros players Billy Wagner and Carlos Beltran, one current Astros player is already a strong candidate for Cooperstown: second baseman Jose Altuve.
Altuve, who has spent his entire 14-season career with the Astros, has built an impressive resume that puts him in line for a Hall of Fame induction. Over the years, he has accumulated more than 2,200 hits, 400 doubles, 300 stolen bases, and 50 WAR (wins above replacement).
A career .306/.363/.468 hitter, Altuve has won three batting titles, two World Series championships, nine All-Star selections, and seven Silver Slugger awards.
Entering his age-35 season, Altuve shows no signs of slowing down. Recently, he was named the No. 2 second baseman in baseball by MLB Network, trailing only Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Altuve is coming off another All-Star year in which he hit .295/.350/.439 with 20 home runs, 22 stolen bases (his most since 2017), 94 runs scored, and 3.4 WAR.
Even if Altuve were to retire today, he’s already earned his place in Cooperstown. His career achievements place him among the greatest hitters at second base in MLB history. Among players with over 3,000 career plate appearances, where at least 40% of their games have been played at second base, Altuve ranks seventh with a 130 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus), a statistic that measures hitting performance. The six players ahead of him are all Hall of Famers.
Similar to Derek Jeter’s role with the New York Yankees in the 1990s, Altuve has been a key figure in the Astros’ success, helping them make nine playoff appearances in the last 10 seasons. Despite changes in the roster, Altuve has remained a consistent leader, playing a crucial position and often leading off, setting the tone for the entire lineup.
The 2017 American League MVP has also been one of the best postseason performers in MLB history. In 105 playoff games, Altuve has hit 27 home runs, driven in 56 runs, scored 89 runs, and posted a .271/.337/.505 slash line. Only Manny Ramirez, with 29 postseason home runs, has more.
Altuve still has plenty of time to further cement his legacy. He’s signed through the rest of the decade on a five-year, $125 million extension that begins this season, ensuring he’ll likely finish his career in Houston.
So, while Altuve’s Hall of Fame plaque may be far from certain for now, his accomplishments suggest that it’s all but inevitable. His sustained excellence over more than a decade, coupled with his impact on both the regular season and playoffs, makes him one of the top players in the history of the game.
