Houston Astros Star Ranked Among Game's Best Again

This long-time Houston Astros veteran is considered one of the best players in baseball at his position

The Houston Astros want to extend the contract of second baseman Jose Altuve and make him an Astro for life. Entering his age 34 season, many believe he remains one of the best at his position.

MLB Network continues its “Top 10 Right Now” series and hit second base, revealing that Altuve is the No. 2 second baseman in the game, even as he enters his 14th Major League season.

The only player ranked ahead of him was Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team revealed earlier this offseason that they intend to move Betts back to second base full-time. He’s played the majority of his career in right field but played 70 games at second base in 2023.

Altuve has played his entire career at second after breaking in with the Astros in 2011. He’s been a part of two World Series champions (2017, 2022).

Last season was a difficult one for the normally durable Altuve. He missed the first two months of the season after suffering an injury playing for his native Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. He did another short stint on the injured list in July.

Still, he produced, as he slashed .311/.393/.522/.915 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI. Along the way he became the third Astros player to reach 2,000 career hits, joining Astros legends and Hall of Famers Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. Altuve also hit for the cycle.

Altuve enters 2024 hoping to add to his impressive credentials. He is a career .307 hitter with 209 home runs and 747 RBI. He was the 2017 American League MVP and has been named to the AL All-Star Team eight times. He’s also won five Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove.

The rest of the Top 10 included Texas’ Marcus Semien, Miami’s Luis Arraez, Arizona’s Ketel Marte, Cincinnati’s Matt McLain, Cleveland’s Andrés Giménez, Minnesota’s Edouard Julien, Oakland’s Zack Gelof and the Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner.