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World Champ Astros’ Jose Altuve: With 4 Postseason Awards Already Pocketed, MVP Next?

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  • Updated: November 9, 2017

Winning a World Series always swings the national spotlight somewhere in your direction. But, if you’re three-time American League batting champion Jose Altuve, the Houston Astros’ dynamite diminutive second baseman, a pallet of awards might end up at your front door, as well.

With the World Series Championship parade barely a week in the rearview, Altuve has already amassed a handful of well-earned awards. And, this is even before the heavily-anticipated Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) announcement of league MVP. Altuve is a finalist along with the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Cleveland Indians’ Jose Ramirez for that eagerly-awaited award, the announcement for which will take place Thursday, November 16.

Related: TRS’ Yankees correspondent, Griffin Fuller, makes MVP cases for Judge and Altuve, and offers his prediction

Let’s See If He’s Got Enough Pockets

Altuve took home his fourth straight Silver Slugger Award, which is the number that coincides with the number of his 200-hit seasons. Altuve’s teammate, World Series MVP George Springer won his first Silver Slugger Award. Springer hit all 34 of his homers as a lead-off man, with nine being lead-off long balls. He set career highs in homers, RBI (85), average (.283), slugging percentage (.522), and OPS (.889).

Presented annually by Louisville Slugger with the winners announced Thursday, November 9, the Silver Slugger Awards honor the top hitters at each position for each league, as voted by MLB managers and coaches, who could not vote for someone on their team.

Plus, for the second straight year, Altuve picked up the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) American League Most Outstanding Player award, with announcements released Wednesday, November 8. Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins was the NL Most Outstanding Player.

In a talented and crowded field, Altuve earned the overall MLBPA Player’s Choice Outstanding Player award. Might this pave the way for that coveted MVP award? Voting by the baseball writers ended prior to any postseason games.

Altuve went back-to-back with both these awards, making it the second consecutive year he was voted the best player in his league and in all of MLB by his peers, usually a prize more valued by players, as opposed to an award voted on by baseball writers who don’t play the game.

Stacks o’ Stats

Altuve finished the 2017 season with 204 hits, 39 doubles, 24 homers, 81 RBIs, 112 runs, and 32 stolen bases. He had a slash line of .346/.410/.547, leading the AL in batting average for his third out of the last four years.

In fact, in 2014, he became the first player in Astros history to win a batting title after leading the American League, as well as all of baseball, with a .341 average. That season also saw him set the single-season Houston franchise record for hits with 225, overtaking the 210 hits reached by fellow second baseman, Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio, in 1998.

Related: Craig Biggio, 2015: First Astro in the Hall of Fame

Altuve actually became the first player to represent a team in the All-Star Game in different leagues, with his first appearance coming in the Astros’ final National League season in 2012. His other All-Star Game appearances were in 2014 and 2015, when he was voted in as an AL starter.

Altuve joins outfielder Cesar Cedeno (1970-1981) as the only Astro players to have three All-Star Game nominations before the age of 25. More C.C.: Altuve’s 830 career hits through his first five seasons are a Houston franchise record, surpassing Cedeno’s 782 from 1970-74.

In 2014, Altuve joined Ty Cobb as the only players to have 225 hits, 47 doubles and 56 stolen bases in a single season. In 1911, Cobb had 248 hits, 47 doubles and 83 steals.

Related: The Reluctant Legend: Jose Altuve and the Ty Cobb Connection

Not Done Yet

Altuve also caught the eye of the Sporting News, as that venerable tabloid tapped the new World Champion as their 2017 Player of the Year for the second straight year.

Altuve was named to his fifth career All-Star team in 2017, and, of course, was an instrumental part of the Astros’ first World Series title in franchise history.

Nope….Not Yet

Jose Altuve was also named the 2017 American League Hank Aaron Award winner before Game 2 of the World Series, as was Stanton for the NL. Introduced in 1999, the Hank Aaron Award goes to the top hitter in each league, with voting by baseball fans and members of the media.

But Wait, There’s More

Even before all these, Baseball America (on Oct. 5) named Altuve their Major League Player of the Year, the magazine’s first Venezuelan position player to win the award. Twins left-hander Johan Santana won the award in 2006. “He earned the award,” the publication said in a press release, “for his all-around play that starts with his hitting ability.”

The 5’5″ Astro’s 602 hits from 2013-15 are the most of any major leaguer during that span. Seattle’s Robinson Cano is a distant second at 556.

In 2015, Altuve became just the fourth player in MLB history to record 800 hits, 150 doubles, and 150 steals through his first five seasons in the majors. The others are Ray Durham (1995-99, Chicago White Sox), Ben Chapman (1930-34, New York Yankees), and Del Pratt (1912-16, St. Louis Browns).

Related: The Improbable Journey of Altuve: From Venezuela Sandlot to World Champion

Brad Kyle

Brad Kyle

Brad Ramone with (L-R) Dee Dee, Johnny, and Joey Ramone, backstage at Houston's Liberty Hall, July, 1977.

Johnny, the Ramones' influential guitarist, who passed away in 2004 at 55, was an avid baseball and New York Yankees fan since childhood. He even once ranked baseball above rock'n'roll in a personal Top 10 List!

Like Johnny, my love for rock is only equaled by my love for baseball and my hometown Houston Astros, present and past!

At TRS, you'll get full Astros coverage, minor league peeks, player profiles, interviews, MLB historical perspective, and maybe a little rock'n'roll!
Brad Kyle

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