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Houston Astros' Jose Altuve Moves Up All-Time Leaderboards With Leadoff Home Run

Jose Altuve opened Saturday's contest between the Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles with a solo homer, moving him past Ichiro Suzuki on an exclusive list in the AL history books.

Sam Connon

Aug 24, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during then first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Aug 24, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during then first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
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While the Houston Astros were unable to seal the deal against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, the face of their franchise still made history by giving them an early lead.

Second baseman Jose Altuve took ball one to open the game, then pulled a 408-foot solo home run to left on the second pitch of the afternoon. It was the first of two homers Houston belted on Saturday, as Jeremy Peña took Albert Suárez deep again in the sixth.

Jackson Holiday eventually came through for the Orioles, though, sending a three-RBI double into the right-center gap in the bottom of that same frame. That put Baltimore on top 3-2, which turned out to be the final score.

Altuve finished the day 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run. He is now batting .299 with 18 home runs, 56 RBI, 18 stolen bases, an .800 OPS and a 3.0 WAR on the season.

According to TSN's StatsCentre, Saturday also marked the 38th time Altuve led off a game with a home run. That ranks fifth in American League history, from 1901 to present.

Altuve was previously tied for fifth with Ichiro Suzuki, who finished his career with 37 game-opening home runs. Paul Molitor ranks seventh with 33.

Now that he has surged past Ichiro, Brady Anderson and Ian Kinsler are next up on the list above Altuve. Rickey Henderson owns the all-time record with 69, while Altuve's former teammate, George Springer, ranks second with 60.

Altuve owns a .307 batting average and .832 OPS since breaking into the big leagues in 2011. He has racked up 2,201 hits, 227 home runs, 803 RBI, 311 stolen bases and a 52.4 WAR in his MLB career.

Just last week, Altuve became the third player in Astros history to post 10 separate seasons with 150-plus hits. Before Altuve, the only players on the list were Hall of Famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell.

Altuve – a nine-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger, three-time batting champion and two-time World Series winner – certainly seems bound to join them in Cooperstown when he eventually calls it quits, considering how often he has made history and broken records. The 34-year-old infielder is under contract through the end of the 2029 season thanks to an extension he inked with Houston last offseason.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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