There had been 295 players in MLB history with 2000 career hits. Houston Astros star Jose Altuve joined that group on Saturday night.
Altuve had already moved up the all time list, his leadoff single moving him into a tie with Ian Kinsler and Jimmy Collins, one behind that plateau. He then took a 2-2 splitter down the left field line in the bottom of the fifth to reach the milestone. However, the play itself did not have a happy ending for Altuve or the Astros as he was thrown out attempting to extend the hit into a double, ending the inning.
Houston Astros star Jose Altuve building Hall of Fame case
This is not the first milestone Altuve has reached this season. He had belted his 200th career homer on August 5 to become the 17th player with at least 50% of their games at second to reach that milestone. Only 11 second basemen have both 200 homers and 2000 hits, with six of them in the Hall of Fame. Three others – Lou Whitaker, Jeff Kent, and Robinson Cano – have interesting cases in their own right.
It is also time to start wondering what Altuve’s case could look like. He is one of five second basemen with 2000 hits, 200 homers, and 200 steals. At 33 years old, Altuve is not showing any signs of slowing down; his 160 OPS+ entering Saturday is tied for the best mark in his career. He has already been an eight time All Star, won a Gold Glove and an MVP award, and has two championships under his belt. As his numbers continue to rise, his accolades will only increase as well.
He is going to have his detractors. AstroGate could keep him from being a first ballot Hall of Famer as it did Carlos Beltran. A segment of baseball fans will always believe he was wearing a buzzer during that first championship run. Altuve has also been excellent both before and after AstroGate. At some point, his accomplishments will speak for themselves.
Jose Altuve has reached another milestone in his impressive career. The Houston Astros second baseman is charting a course for Cooperstown.
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