José Carlos Altuve, a second baseman with the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball, was born in Venezuela on May 6, 1990. (MLB). Altuve joined the Astros in 2007 as an amateur free agent, and in 2011 he made his major league debut. He was the shortest active MLB player as of 2017 at 5 feet 6 inches, and he batted and threw right-handed (1.68 m). He is listed at 165 pounds (75 kg). Altuve led the American League (AL) in hits from 2014 to 2017, averaging at least 200 per season. In that time, he won three batting titles.
Altuve, an eight-time MLB All-Star, has five times been selected as the AL’s starting second baseman in the All-Star Game; his selections with the Astros (eight) set a team record. He first captured the American League Most Valuable Player Award, the Hank Aaron Award, and the World Series championship with the Astros in 2017. In the same year, J. J. Watt of the NFL’s Houston Texans and Altuve were named Sports Illustrated’s co-Sportsperson of the Year for their leadership in the rescue efforts following Hurricane Harvey.
The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year (making him the fifth player to be named in consecutive years), the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, and Baseball America’s Major League Player of the Year were among the other honors given to Altuve in 2017. Additionally, he has received one Rawlings Gold Glove and five Silver Slugger Awards. Altuve received his first ALCS MVP award when he launched a memorable, pennant-winning walk-off two-run home run off Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman to conclude the 2019 American League Championship Series and advance the Astros to their second World Series in three years.
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He achieved 130 hits and 40 stolen bases before the All-Star Game in 2014, making him the first player to do so in more than 80 years. He led the AL with a.341 average that season, making him the first Astro to win a hitting crown. He has twice been the AL leader in bases stolen. Altuve, a Venezuelan national team player from Maracay, participated in the 2017 World Baseball Classic for his country (WBC). He is the second-fastest player in playoff history to hit 23 home runs, which is second all-time in postseason history among second basemen and infielders.
Between 2011 and 2021, he had 31 games with four hits, which was the most of any MLB player. Since 2011, he has also had more than 160 games with three or more hits. Altuve is recognized as one of the most excellent Astros in franchise history and one of the best second basemen of his time. He was a member of an era that saw the Astros win a world championship & three pennants in five seasons.
How Tall Is Jose Altuve?
Altuve is only 5-6 tall. He is the shortest player to participate in an MLB game in 2021 with Athletics utility player Tony Kemp. The most minor players in the majors since 2000 are Altuve, Kemp, Alexi Amarista, Danny Herrera, David Eckstein, and Donnie Salder, who are all tied for the honor.
Altuve may be young, but he is not the youngest player to ever play in the postseason or hit a home run. Hugh Nicol, whose last MLB at-bat was in 1890, went 5-4 and had two postseason at-bats. He is the second-shortest player in postseason history, joining Billy Gilbert (1909), who last played.
However, it was in the contemporary era of the game when the shortest player ever smashed a postseason home run. That would be Freddie Patek, who played for the Pirates, Royals, and Angels between 1968 and 1981. Patek concluded his MLB career with 41 home runs, including a home run against the Yankees in the 1978 ALCS. He was the first player shorter than Altuve to smash a home run in the postseason, being 5-5.
Jose Altuve Early Life
On May 6, 1990, Jose Carlos Altuve was born in Maracay, Venezuela. When he was seven years old, he met Salvador Pérez, a future primary league catcher for the Kansas City Royals.
Beginning in Maracay, the two faced off against each other frequently in American League contests.
How Jose Altuve Starts His Career?
In 2011, Altuve started playing baseball professionally. On July 19, 2011, Altuve received his first promotion to the major leagues from the Astros. Due to his strong play, he was selected to play second base for Baseball America’s 2011 Minor League All-Star team.
On July 27, 2011, he matched Russ Johnson’s Astros record of seven consecutive games with a hit to open a career. He hit his first major league home run inside the park. He also agreed to a four-year extension worth $12.5 million with the team in 2013, which included two club options for the years 2018 and 2019.
Before the All-Star Break, he became the only MLB player since 1933 to record 40 stolen bases and 130 hits. It’s never happened before in Major League history, but Altuve has done the unthinkable: played for both the American & National Leagues in the All-Star Game. The Astros’ first hitting champion was Altuve. On September 11, 2015, he registered his 800th career hit, passing Biggio to become the Astros player with the most hits in the sport. He still represents the team.