Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve is a Houston Astros second baseman and one of the best contact hitters of his generation, a 3-time batting champion.

José Carlos Altuve was born on May 6, 1990, in Maracay, Venezuela, and grew up alongside future major league catcher Salvador Pérez, forming a childhood friendship between two future World Series champions. His father, Carlos, introduced him to the game early, walking him to the local field every day after work to hit and field ground balls together. Standing just 5-foot-6, Altuve faced persistent skepticism about his size throughout his youth, but he never let it shake his conviction that he belonged. At 16, Altuve attended a Houston Astros tryout camp in Venezuela but was initially turned away — team officials assumed he was lying about his age given his small stature. He returned the next day with his birth certificate in hand and was allowed to compete, ultimately impressing team officials enough that the Astros signed him as an amateur free agent for a modest bonus in 2006. Altuve spent five years developing in the minor leagues before debuting with Houston in July 2011. Despite his size, Altuve developed into one of the finest all-around second basemen of his generation, combining elite contact skills with surprising power and base-stealing ability. He won three American League batting titles between 2014 and 2017, capturing the AL MVP award in 2017 while leading Houston to its first World Series championship. He added a second championship with the Astros in 2022, and remains the longest-tenured player on the roster, having spent his entire career with Houston since making his debut. A nine-time All-Star and seven-time Silver Slugger winner, Altuve stands as a lasting reminder that in baseball, size has never been the whole story.

Contact hitter with speed and excellent fielding

One of the best second basemen of his generation

• AL MVP 2017
• 3x AL batting champion
• 9x All-Star
• 1x Gold Glove
• 7x Silver Slugger
• 2x World Series champion (2017, 2022)
• ALCS MVP