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The Houston Astros are sitting in the bottom of the American League West Division with an 11-22 record. The 'Stros are off to the Bronx for a matchup with their arch rival, the New York Yankees.
The Yanks put a whooping on the Astros earlier this season. The two teams met on Opening Day, and New York proceeded to sweep Houston during the first series of the 2024 season. The Astros will surely have revenge on their minds when they visit Yankee Stadium this week.
Yankees outfielder Juan Soto has drawn a lot of praise this season and has been brandished about as the most likely AL MVP, but Astros second baseman Jose Altuve has been putting together an MVP-type performance in his own right.
Jose Altuve's likely AL MVP season is getting lost in Astros' downfall
A quick check of most statistics would show you that Altuve is beating Soto in many significant categories. Altuve, who's played two fewer games than Soto to this point in the season, has more runs, hits, doubles, and stolen bases than the Yankees slugger. Altuve also has a higher batting average and fewer strikeouts. Soto holds a minuscule edge in both on-base percentage and slugging.
Despite Altuve besting the odds-on favorite to win the AL MVP, the Astros infielder is receiving much less publicity than the likes of Aaron Judge, Gunnar Henderson, Jose Ramirez, and Bobby Witt Jr. But those players all have one thing in common -- they're leading their teams to wins. The Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians, and Kansas City Royals are all off to red-hot starts to begin the 2024 season.
Jose Altuve doing Jose Altuve things. pic.twitter.com/yd88HbtfxI
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 28, 2024
Houston's ineptitude, which can mostly be attributed to the team's pitching woes, has helped take the shine off what could be Altuve's second MVP campaign. The eight-time All-Star is going to need more from his teammates over the course of the season if he hopes to attain the trophy for a second time.
While the MVP is an individual award, team success plays into the minds of the voters, and will do so again this season. The Astros need to start racking up wins, and it starts with the upcoming series against the Yankees on the road.