Houston Astros Star Must Pick Up Offensive Production To Make Up for Woeful Defense

The Houston Astros need one of their stars to start putting it together offensively to offset their abysmal defense.

Jun 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) hits a single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros had to make several major changes to their lineup this offseason because of how things played out over the winter.

A new third baseman and right fielder were needed, with Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker not returning. Bregman signed a deal with the Boston Red Sox in free agency and Tucker was traded to the Chicago Cubs.

Both of their replacements ended up coming in the return package from the Cubs, with Isaac Paredes taking over at the hot corner and star prospect Cam Smith successfully making the transition from third base to right field.

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Another major change made by the team was the move of second baseman Jose Altuve to left field.

It was an idea tossed around when it looked like there was a chance Bregman was going to return. With him, Paredes and Christian Walker all in the mix, the team was tossing out ideas of how to fit everyone in the defensive alignment.

Despite Bregman not coming back, the Astros went through with moving Altuve and the results have been as underwhelming as expected.

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He has been awful defensively with a -8 Defensive Runs Saved, per FanGraphs. His waning athleticism, which was a main factor in moving him off of second base, is still an issue, recording a -3 DRS in only 114.2 innings at the keystone.

It has been a few years since Altuve wasn’t a liability defensively, recording a DRS of at least -13 in three straight campaigns.

But, he was still a positive producer for the team in the lineup because of how well he produced at the plate.

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Thus far in 2025, that has not been the case, with his offensive numbers also slipping drastically.

Through 62 games and 265 plate appearances, Altuve has a .261/.306/.396 slash line with a 96 OPS+. He has hit nine home runs with six doubles and 24 RBI, stealing five bases.

His defensive shortcomings and lack of production at the plate have resulted in a -0.8 bWAR, which would be the lowest of his career.

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Father Time could certainly be catching up to the 35-year-old, but Houston doesn’t have any contingency plans to turn to.

They need Altuve to find his groove and start producing closer to his normal levels at the plate to help keep the team in the playoff race in a competitive American League.

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