Astros: Current, former players Hall of Fame chances

Current Astros – The Ones With Work To Do

Jose Altuve

With 36.5 career WAR, a lifetime .311 batting average, 1,610 hits, six All-Star selections, three batting titles and an MVP, Jose Altuve is halfway to an excellent Hall of Fame resume. He turns 31 in May, so he still has time to add additional hardware and beef up those counting stats. If he reaches 3,000 hits, it’ll be hard to argue against him, and he’s all but guaranteed to go in as an Astro.

Of course he’s coming off a poor 2020 regular season, but his postseason performance gives us hope that he’ll look like his old self moving forward. The sign stealing scandal is going to be the big question mark, as some voters will likely hold that against him despite the fact that he didn’t use the trash can scheme and never wore a buzzer or anything ridiculous like that. Logic dictates that if his numbers are worthy, he’ll get in eventually, but the voters could still screw it up of course.

Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman has amassed 23.4 WAR in just five seasons, so he’s certainly on the right path. He turns 27 in late March, so the next few years should be his prime. If he can continue to play solid defense, draw a bunch of walks and rack up the extra-base hits, he could build a nice Hall of Fame resume by the time he’s in his 30s.

As for his chances of going in as an Astro, he’s under contract through his age-30 season. That would have him in Houston for at least his first eight seasons. If he remains with the team beyond his current contract, there’s a strong chance he would represent the Astros if he makes it to Cooperstown. If he moves on, it’s anybody’s guess.

Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa is only entering his age-26 season and already has 26.3 career WAR, so he’s also on a solid trajectory. The main issue is that he’s been unable to stay healthy, appearing in more than 110 games only once in his six seasons. He’s also been inconsistent at the plate, but we all know how lofty his ceiling is. If he can stay healthy and play to his potential, he’s got Hall of Fame written all over him.

His future with the Astros is even more up in the air. He’s due to hit free agency after this season, and while many fans, including myself, have been clamoring for the team to sign him to a long term deal (and Correa himself has said he wants to remain in Houston), no such deal has materialized. It would be a shame if Correa were to cement his Hall of Fame resume elsewhere.

Yordan Alvarez

Premature? Maybe. But Yordan Alvarez is still only 23 and already has a Rookie of the Year award in his cabinet and looks like the next David Ortiz. Knee troubles basically wiped out his 2020 season, but if he can stay healthy, he’s going to mash. There’s a long way to go, but he looks like the type of player who can end up with 500-plus homers.

It’s also way too soon to know if the Astros would be his team if and when he gets into Cooperstown, but we all certainly hope they will be. Alvarez is one of the best young hitters to come along in some time, so we’d love nothing more than to see him continue to drop baseballs into the upper deck at Minute Maid Park.