Astros Top Five Greatest Players in Franchise History

Who is the greatest Astros player of all-time?

With the Major League Baseball lockout still ongoing, I feel like it is the right time to decide who is the greatest Houston Astros player of all-time. Chances are you will not like my decision, so share your opinion with me on Twitter.

5. Roger Clemens

The main reason Roger Clemens isn’t higher on this list is due to tenure. He won a Cy Young and appeared in two all star games over his three years in Houston, helping the team to a National League Pennant in 2005. He kept his ERA below a 3.00, reaching a career low 1.87 in 2005.

3. Craig Biggio

The first Hall of Famer on this list is Craig Biggio. I know a lot of you reading think that he is the best Astro of all-time, but the stats say otherwise. Biggio played his entire 20-year career in Houston, going through three jersey changes, four position changes and one stadium change. He managed to make seven All-Star teams and finish fourth in MVP voting in 1997.

He had a career OPS of .796 and a career WAR of 65.4. If you look at the No. 1 and No. 2 on this list, he had a lower OPS than both, and a lower WAR than my No. 1. That’s why he sits at number three. No disrespect to the former coach at my high school though.

2. Jose Altuve

This one shocks a lot of you, so hear me out. Like Biggio, Jose Altuve has made seven All-Star games, but over only 11 seasons. Most people do not realize that he is only 31-years-old, and already has an MVP award, a World Series Championship and three Pennants to his name. Over his career he has an OPS of .821 and a WAR of 41.4. His OPS is higher than Biggio’s but his WAR is lower, for now.

This could change over the course of his career, as he is still in his prime. I think he just barely edges out Biggio right now, but by the end of his career, it will not even be a debate.

1. Jeff Bagwell

This one is no debate, just look at his stats. Over his 15-year career with the Astros, he had an OPS of .948 a WAR of 79.9. That WAR value does not even come close to anyone else on this list.

He won the MVP award in 1994, finished second in MVP voting in 1999 and won Rookie of the Year in 1991. He won the Pennant with Biggio in 2005, before retiring at the end of the season due to back injuries. He would go on to be a Hall of Famer.