What a season save the Houston Astros had against the Texas Rangers! The Astros are going head-on toward the Commissioner’s Trophy, and there are many patrons sharing this load. One among them was José Altuve, who emerged as the torchbearer of the squad’s capabilities in the ALCS Game 4. Lo-and-behold, he became the postseason hero; for reasons worth a salute. 

In the chronicles of MLB, there are some names that are engraved too highly to surpass. And one such name is Derek Jeter, for being a part of an exclusive club. However, in a rare occurrence, the face of the Astros dynasty, José Altuve stands juxtaposed with Jeter after Thursday night’s game. 

Jose Altuve’s Might Is Closely Comparable To Derek Jeter

With his opening inning at Globe Life Field, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve achieved some amazing feats. He became the fifth player in baseball history to play in 100 postseason games, with the game being his 100th career playoff game. Not only that, after today’s 3-10 win against the Rangers, he joined hands with some of history’s top players in terms of the most 3+ hits in the postseason with an impressive 10. His inching closer to former New York Yankees legend, Derek Jeter, with a commendable 12, is a cherry on top. Altuve’s streak of achievements started in Game 3 itself. As per the list MLB Network shared, he is a notch closer to equaling Jeter. 

In the third inning of ALCS Game 3 on Wednesday night, the 33-year-old second baseman hit a single home run to give Houston a four-run advantage against the Rangers. Altuve currently has 25 career postseason home runs as a result. Manny Ramirez, who has 29 career playoff dingers, is the only player with more than that. With that, the manager of Houston shared some comments on him. 

Jose Altuve is the only player who has the longest tenure with Houston. The 2011 Astros joinee has had quite a run since then. Dusty Baker said, “Well, it means you’ve been on a good team for a while and that you have quite a bit to do with your team being there for a while (100 postseason games). That’s a lot of games. He’s certainly not overwhelmed or fazed by playing in these games. If I were Altuve, I would feel very, very, very comfortable playing in each and every one of these games.” The fact that he stands in close proximity to the 5X World Series Champion himself is a big deal and reflects why Baker vouches for him.

The team relies on Jose Altuve

Taking a look back at the 2006 ALDS Game 1 of New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers, Jeter’s chapter shines. He made a 5-for-5 day among 12 of his games of 3 or more hits, joining hands with Bernie Williams. Fast forward to today, Altuve makes it to the club. With that, his teammates could not contain their appreciation for his experience, either. 

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In the words of shortstop Jeremy Peña, “Altuve is a leader in our clubhouse. He’s gone through this postseason process a lot,” and the team leans on him to be led. Moreover, it is quite clear that the 12 years ‘Gigante’ has spent with Houston have taught him the nuances and now, the team reaps its fruits.

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