Jose Altuve’s recent numbers for Astros give hope they won't live to regret extension

Eric Cole

Baltimore Orioles v Houston Astros / Houston Astros/GettyImages

Most Houston Astros fans were thrilled when Jose Altuve received an extension, but the deal had the potential to be a bit risky. Altuve's track record is unimpeachable, but he's 35 years old and his contract carries a $25 million AAV through his age 39 season.

Father Time is undefeated and the latter years of Altuve's deal could look pretty ugly. But he's once again defying expectations, giving hope that that His deal could end up looking like a bargain when it's all said and done.

Altuve was (kind of) moved to the outfield this season and got off to a slow start. On May 21, Altuve had just a .238/.294/.335 slash line and his slump had many wondering if the decline had already arrived. His numbers, however, have started to improve once the weather warmed up, and those concerns subsided.

After what has been a torrid stretch since the beginning of July, Altuve will have fans wondering what why they ever doubted him and the extension he signed last spring.

Jose Altuve's hot-streak reminds Astros fans what he's capable of

Altuve's defied expectations his entire career. A player of his size shouldn't be a long-term big leaguer, let alone a perennial All-Star, MVP winner, dangerous slugger, and future Hall of Famer. While fans should know better than to think he doesn't have it anymore, Altuve's performance over the last month-and-a-half or so is remarkable.

In the 39 games Altuve has played since July 1, he is slashing .322/.398/.570 with nine homers and 28 RBI. While he isn't running wild on the bases like he used to in his younger days, the rest of his production is vintage-Altuve, and that includes his constant switching back and forth between positions.

There is no real way to know when Altuve's inevitable decline will come and his numbers in August have come back to earth. Altuve's performance this season when the Astros needed it the most shows that the Astros icon still has something left in the tank. If he can just continue to be productive for a couple more years, the Astros and their fans will be more than happy.

More Astros News from Climbing Tal's Hill

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.