Houston Astros Star Continues Moving Up All-Time List for Postseason Production

A Houston Astros star has moved into the top three of a statistic in MLB postseason history.

Oct 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros second base Jose Altuve (27) hits a single in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers in game one of the Wild Card round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros' stay in the 2024 MLB playoffs was a very short one. 

After advancing to the ALCS for seven straight years, they were eliminated by the red-hot Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card round, losing the first two games of the series.

The Tigers are the only team who performed better than the Astros in the American League over the last few months and they got the best of the playoff matchup.

In Game 1, Houston had no answer for their ace, Tarik Skubal. The presumed AL Cy Young Award winner fired six shutout innings, allowing four hits and one walk with six strikeouts to help lead his team to victory.

The Astros put together a rally in the bottom of the ninth, recording three hits against closer Jason Foley. But, Jason Heyward lined out to first baseman Spencer Torkelson to end the game with runners on second and third.

Had he found a way to get on base, Jose Altuve would have come up to bat with a chance to win the game. Other than Yordan Alvarez, there isn’t a player the team would rather have coming up in such a situation.

The 2017 MVP is one of the most prolific postseason performers in MLB history. On Tuesday, he went 1-for-4 at the plate, breaking a tie with Manny Ramirez and moving into third place alone with 118 postseason hits to his name.

The only players ahead of him are New York Yankees legends. Shortstop Derek Jeter is first with 200 and center fielder Bernie Williams is second with 128.

Jose Altuve now has the third most hits in MLB postseason history! pic.twitter.com/gdyBpeA8xZ

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 1, 2024

Unfortunately, he was unable to add to that total in Game 2, as he went 0-for-3 with a sac fly. Alas, it wasn’t enough to help his team, as the Astros lost 5-2 to end their season earlier than most people predicted it would.

One more deep playoff run in the future could get Altuve to Williams’s postseason hit numbers. However, it will take a few more years to even get in the same realm as Jeter, who had 16 playoffs and seven trips to the World Series to rack up his hits, playing 33 total series.

This was the ninth postseason for the diminutive second baseman, who had helped the Astros make some really deep runs in previous years, advancing to the World Series four times with 22 total series.

The Wild Card Round, which Jeter didn’t have the chance to play in as the playoff format changed after his career ended, hasn’t given Altuve much of an edge. He has only two hits in five games and 21 plate appearances.