When Jose Altuve was injured representing his country at the World Baseball Classic, Houston Astros fans must have been very sheepish. Obviously, the team leaders also held their breath, who were counting on the little second cushion player to win the World Series again in 2023.
Since then, the Astros have gone through the gamut of emotions and seen the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners provide them with good opposition during the current campaign. Logically, Dusty Baker’s men should once again win the title of their division and try to win top honors for a second consecutive year.
To do this, the Astros will need all their elements in great shape and the return of veteran Justin Verlander gives them more reason to believe in their chances.
One player among all has the key to his team’s success during big moments and he wears number 27. For several weeks, Jose Altuve has been running at full throttle and he has once again become the athlete for big occasions.
Altuve has recently been in the midst of an incredible stretch where he hit several big home runs for his team. Her leadership is indisputable and even if he remains a branded player due to his role at the heart of the signal theft scandal, we can believe that he has what it takes to rub shoulders with the greatest once his career ended.
The Astros without Altuve in the lineup aren’t the same. He represents their spark plug and he knows how to behave when it counts. Yes, the Texas Rangers have turned many heads this season by sitting atop their division for several weeks, but the Astros, led by their leader Altuve, were quick to bring them back with both feet on the ground. We now have to wonder if these same Rangers will be part of the great fall waltz.
Yesterday, against the San Diego Padres, the Astros found their way to victory, having seen the same Padres put an end to a series of three victories for the Texan team on Friday evening.
Jose Altuve may not win the MVP title in the American this season, but his recent performances demonstrate that he still has the passion and talent to lead his team to ultimate victory.
For Astros fans, they can once again admire the prowess of the man who was named best player in his league in 2017.
