Astros Leaning On Superstar To Carry Them Through Playoffs

The Houston Astros get their seventh consecutive American League Championship Series started on Sunday against the Texas Rangers. They'll be heavily relying on one of their superstars to carry the team.

The Houston Astros are a team full of stars.

It's been that way since they underwent a rebuilding process that saw them win less than 60 games in the 2011-2013 seasons.

Being able to select players high in the MLB Draft allowed the Astros to build homegrown talent who have turned into stars.

Even with all that talent in the same clubhouse, Houston's players are still looking at one guy to lead them in the playoffs.

"Altuve is the guy who is going to carry us. He’s got different ways to beat you; it could be a bunt, a homer or stealing a base. Having him on our team is really good," veteran catcher Martin Maldonado said to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

That's been the case for the Astros since they've on their incredible playoff run.

Altuve has been one of the best postseason performers in the history of the game, ranking top-5 in homers (24), runs (80), hits (107) and RBI (50).

"He’s a baller," Houston's young star Jeremy Pena said. "He’s got thick skin. He puts the work in and doesn’t let anything faze him. He just goes out there and plays his game."

One of the reasons why the star second baseman has become a primetime player in the playoffs is because of his mentality.

"The thought is always about winning," Altuve said. "It’s just about winning now. There’s no tomorrow. We’ve just got to focus on winning. It doesn’t matter, numbers, stats -- anything but winning."

This mentality has clearly worked for the Astros.

They're playing in their seventh consecutive American League Championship Series, winning four of them and becoming the World Series champions twice.

For Houston to repeat, they'll need Altuve to continue shouldering the offensive load on their current run.