Houston Astros: CTH’s Top-25 Astros All-Time Hitters

3rd All-Time Astros Hitter

#3: Jose Cruz by Elliott Jenkins

Jose Cruz joined the Astros in 1975. He spent twelve years as a player from 1975 to 1987, earning All-Star nods in 1980 and 1985. He was an NL MVP finalist in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, and 1985. He also won back-to-back Silver Slugger Awards in 1983 (when he led the NL in hits) and 1984.

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He is 3^rd all-time in WAR as an Astro, with his 51.2 behind only Jeff Bagwell’s 79 and Craig Biggio’s 65. He is the Astros’ all-time leader in triples with 80, and he posted the franchise’s single-season record of 13 in 1984. He is 2^nd all-time in singles behind Craig Biggio. He is third all-time in games played (1,870), at-bats (6,629), hits (1,937), and stolen bases (288), behind only a combination of Bagwell, Biggio, and Cesar Cedeno.

Cruz is 4^th all-time in total bases (2,846), runs created (1,058), and RBIs (942). He is 5^th all-time in walks (730), extra-base hits (553), doubles (335), and runs scored (871). And if that was not enough, he is also 7^th all-time in career Astros batting average (.292) and 8^thall-time in career Astros home runs (138).

Interestingly enough, Cruz has been involved in all ten of the Astros’ postseason appearances. He was a player in 1980, 1981, and 1986, a coach in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, and 2005, and a special assistant to the GM in 2015. Astros fans young and old adore Jose Cruz, whether it was watching him through the club’s thrilling 70s and 80s or chatting with him in-between at-bats during his long tenure as the Astros’ 1B coach.

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