Astros Veteran Slugger Considered High Bust Potential Ahead of 2026 Season

Will this infielder be able to redeem himself?

Houston Astros cap | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros are among every other franchise in the Major Leagues looking to enter the race to the postseason in 2026. Having faced such an eyesore of a season last year, the Astros are seeking a comeback, but with one of their veteran sluggers on the decline, doing so will be a difficult feat.

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Of the veterans, infielder Jose Altuve stands out the most, and he will have some proving to do once his upcoming campaign kicks off.

According to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, Altuve could be approaching a brutal season. Is there hope for the 35-year-old slugger, or he permanently heading downhill?

Is Altuve on a Downward Spiral?

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Altuve has spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the Astros, and for a long duration, he was widely considered one of their top hitters. Although he still holds that title, many are concerned that he's losing his touch with the bat.

In 2017, he played a remarkable season, ultimately guiding the franchise to the World Series, where they clinched their first championship title against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Altuve, unequivocally, played a major role in making it happen.

That year, he slashed .346/.410/.547 with a .957 OPS and 24 homers through 153 games. From there, his performance slowly started to drop, and it soon became clear he wasn't at his full potential. Once 2024 rolled around, he slashed .295/.350/.439 with a .790 OPS, a significant drop from his .915 OPS in 2023.

His 2025 stat sheet continued to fall, wrapping up the season slashing .265/.329/.442 with a .771 OPS and 26 homers through 155 games. He's no longer in his baseball prime, and that's evident by his results. But does this automatically make him a hitting bust candidate in 2026?

As noted by Reuter, "Age and ugly batted-ball metrics make Altuve a prime candidate for a cliff season as he comes down the home stretch of his storied career. He ranked near the bottom of the leaderboard in average exit velocity (4th percentile), hard-hit rate (10th percentile) and bat speed (18th percentile), which could make it increasingly difficult to maintain his power production..."

It's not a secret that he's displayed signs of regression at the plate, but considering he's now 35 years old, that's to be expected. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to consider him a top bust potential for hitters in the Major Leagues this year. Having said that, there's still potential for him to surprise us once the season gets underway.

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