Houston Astros Superstar Playing at MVP Level

The Houston Astros have flipped the switch and are playing their best baseball at the right time.

After being in a battle with their divisional rival Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners for the division lead, the Astros own a one-and-a-half game lead in the standings entering Sunday.

Much of this has to do with the play they're getting from their superstar Jose Altuve who is playing at an MVP level.

His hot hitting was highlighted when he hit four home runs in four consecutive plate appearances during a two game stretch. This occurred during an important series against the Rangers that had major playoff implications.

Brent Maguire of MLB.com writes, "Altuve's incredible home run barrage continued a trend for a player who has turned the clock back to his MVP days. Altuve posted a career-best 164 wRC+ last season and has followed it up with a 162 wRC+ this season.

The surge over these past two years has come after posting a wRC+ of 127 from 2018-2021.

When the shortstop won American League MVP in 2017, he had a wRC+ of 160, so he's performing at an even greater level than what won him the best player award.

The question is if Altuve can sustain what he's doing for the rest of the year.

Changes in his approach at the plate have allowed him to reach these new heights. He's become more focused on the three true outcomes at the plate, which revolves around home runs, walks and strikeouts.

Increasing this percentage and continuing to hit fastballs at a high rate has allowed the star to turn back the clock. With Altuve playing like this, Houston will have a great chance to win back-to-back World Series.