Jose Altuve’s transition to Astros' outfield didn’t go to plan, but that may be best

When the Houston Astros announced they were moving Jose Altuve to left field, they may have had to try to sell the change as a means to tighten up their defense. While that may have been a side benefit that kept them on the course, the decision was really made as a convoluted gambit to try and woo Alex Bregman back while making the pieces of Altuve, Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker, and Bregman all fit together.

When it was decided that Brendan Rodgers, a player who struggled to hit in the league's most hitter-friendly environment, would be Altuve's successor at second, it became clear that the plan was doomed to fail. That became crystal clear once Rodgers hit the IL, never to be heard from again.

At the end of it all, Altuve still played the majority of his games at the keystone position, tallying 66 at second compared to just 47 in left. At the end of the day, it was probably for the best.

Jose Altuve being forced to play more second base than expected in 2025 was the best possible outcome for him and the Astros

The injuries at second that moved Altuve back to the infield as his primary position, combined with injuries to the likes of Yordan Alvarez, made left field a revolving door in 2025. 10 different players made at least one start at the position, as even injury replacements like Jacob Melton wound up on the IL.

At the end of the day, Altuve was not ready to handle left field duties on a regular basis. In 371 innings of work out there, he posted minus-10 defensive runs saved and minus-five outs above average.

He'll likely figure into the left field equation again in 2026, but this time he'll be able to prepare. With the experience under his belt, Altuve will be able to train over the course of the offseason at the position, as opposed to trying to learn how to play the outfield on the fly in spring training.

Altuve turns 36 next May, so a lot of DH days will probably be in his future as well. That will open up some left field reps for Yordan Alvarez as the slugger looks to return from a lost year. At the same time, Altuve being better prepared to play the outfield will open up second base, giving top prospect Brice Matthews a shot at earning big league reps at second.

Matthews was an emergency call-up in the midst of one of the worst injury waves Houston experienced this past season, but he only managed to get into 13 games in the process. The 23-year-old should be primed for the opportunity in 2026, however.

Sometimes things don't go according to plan, but in the chaos, a better pathway forward reveals itself. That is exactly the case with Altuve and left field in 2025 as we look ahead to next season.