Is Houston Astros Superstar Already a Lock for Hall of Fame?

Is Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve going to end up in Cooperstown?

Sep 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) hits a double during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

While baseball fans are waiting to see if former Houston Astros stars Billy Wagner and Carlos Beltran will be elected to the Hall of Fame next week, there's already at least one likely Hall of Famer on the Astros' current roster.

That would be second baseman Jose Altuve, who's already built a Cooperstown-caliber resume with over a decade of sustained excellence.

Through 14 Major League seasons (all with Houston), the diminutive superstar has already racked up over 2,200 hits, 400 doubles, 300 stolen bases and 50 WAR. A career .306/.363/.468 hitter, the three-time batting champ also has two World Series rings, nine All-Star selections and seven Silver Sluggers.

Heading into his age-35 season, Altuve has shown no signs of slowing down.

He was just named the No. 2 second baseman in the game by MLB Network, behind only Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte. The four-time hits leader is coming off another All-Star season where he batted .295/.350/.439 with 20 homers, 22 steals (his most since 2017), 94 runs and 3.4 WAR.

Even if Altuve retired tomorrow, he's already earned a plaque in Cooperstown.

He's one of the best hitters in MLB history at any position, especially the keystone.

"I think he's a lock for the Hall of Fame."@astros legend Jose Altuve notched his 11th career appearance on The Shredder's #Top10RightNow! pic.twitter.com/jqB061Ms0b

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 17, 2025

Among players with over 3,000 career plate appearances who played at least 40% of their games at second base, he ranks seventh with a 130 wRC+.

The six players ahead of him are all Hall of Famers.

Similar to Derek Jeter for the New York Yankees in the 1990s, Altuve has been the lynchpin of the recent Astros dynasty, helping them make nine playoff appearances in the last 10 seasons despite considerable roster turnover. Not only does he play one of the most important positions on the diamond, but he also frequently bats leadoff, setting the tone for the rest of the lineup.

The 2017 AL MVP has also been one of the greatest postseason performers in MLB history, swatting 27 home runs with 56 RBI, 89 runs and a .271/.337/.505 slash line in 105 playoff games. Only Manny Ramirez (29) has more postseason homers.

Altuve still has plenty of time to add to his legacy, too.

He's signed through the rest of the decade on a five-year, $125 million extension that starts this season, which should keep him in Houston for the rest of his career.

So when Altuve does get the call to Cooperstown someday, he'll go in wearing an Astros cap.