Altuve ascending in all-time Astros status

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

It’s safe to say Jose Altuve is considered one of the three greatest players in Astros franchise history, alongside Hall of Famers Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. How you want to rank them is up to you, but there’s no denying Altuve’s body of work has put him into elite territory.

When Altuve blasted a first-pitch homer Friday for his 34th career leadoff home run, he scored his 1,009th career run, passing Lance Berkman on the franchise’s all-time list. Biggio (1,844 runs) and Bagwell (1,517 runs) are the only ones ahead of him.

Altuve entered Saturday needing 35 hits for 2,000, three homers for 200, 13 doubles for 400 and 16 stolen bases for 300. He had his 35th career four-hit game on June 17, surpassing Biggio for the most four-hit games in club history. He’s also tied with Alex Bregman and Carlos Lee for most grand slams in club history with seven.

“I think he’s there,” Biggio said when asked about Altuve’s place among the team’s elite players. “You look at what he’s been able to accomplish on the field, personally and team-wise, it’s 100 percent he’s in the equation.”

Entering the weekend, Altuve’s 47.0 bWAR ranked sixth-best in club history behind Bagwell (79.9), Biggio (65.4), José Cruz (51.4), César Cedeño (49.7) and Berkman (48.1). Altuve will certainly be third on that list at some point soon.

What sets Altuve apart is his postseason prowess. He’s played in four World Series, winning two of them, and was the 2019 ALCS MVP after hitting a walk-off homer to clinch the pennant in Game 6. His 23 career postseason homers are the second-most in baseball history, trailing only Manny Ramirez.

Biggio remembers meeting the 5-foot-6 Altuve when he was an unknown Minor Leaguer on a back field at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla., and marvels at the player and the man he’s become.

“The first time I ever met him, he’s the same today as the guy I met 15 years ago,” Biggio said. “I like to judge people … relationship-wise, how you first meet them and how they are, and he’s the same kid that we all love.”