Houston Astros Legend Silencing Critics With Hot Start
Houston Astros legend Jose Altuve has shown no signs of slowing down.
Halfway through April, the Houston Astros aren't where they thought they'd be a few weeks into the season. Rather than battling the Texas Rangers for first place, they find themselves in last place at 6-11, below even the Oakland A's.
A lot has gone wrong for the Astros, especially on the injury front and in their starting rotation. One of the few players they haven't had to worry about, however, is Jose Altuve, who is proving that he's still an extremely dangerous hitter as he approaches his 34th birthday in May.
Altuve powered Houston to an 8-5 win over the Rangers on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and a stolen base. Both homers came off All-Star Nate Eovaldi, including a leadoff homer in the first inning that left Eovaldi stunned.
Altuve may be getting older, but he's still one of the best hitters in the game. The former MVP is batting .382 with a 1.183 OPS, five home runs and the most hits (26) in the major leagues.
Some critics thought Altuve's performance might decline this year given his age, recent injury history (he only played 90 games last year) and the fact that he just signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension in the offseason. Instead, he's been better than ever.
While Altuve's teammates haven't played up to expectations, he's doing everything he can to help the Astros win ballgames right now. On the plus side, at least the team doesn't have to worry about his production tailing off.
