The Way-Too-Early Case For Jose Altuve As AL MVP

The month of May has just begun, and the Houston Astros are the best team in baseball…at least to those in the Bayou City.

But it seems no one else is giving them a chance.

The 15-7 ‘Stros are four games up in the AL West thanks to the AL’s best staff ERA (3.04) and arguably baseball’s hottest offensive player, second baseman Jose Altuve.

At this point in the season, Altuve is your AL MVP.

Don’t let his size discourage you, don’t let his lack of power (I mean, the guy is 5-foot-6 for crying out loud, what do you expect?) affect you either. Rather, let his speed – he leads the AL in stolen bases with nine – his fielding – no errors so far in 2015 – and his masterfulness at the plate – a league leading 36 hits and a .367 batting average in April – help show you that Altuve for MVP is not such a farfetched idea.

Altuve has been a stalwart in the Astros’ offense since his call up in 2011 at age 21. Each year he has been in the big leagues he has improved his overall game, and that has never been more apparent than in the first month of this season.

Altuve has batted .487 (19-for-39) with nine RBIs while recording at least two hits in eight consecutive contests for Houston. He is one multi-hit game away from tying the Astros’ franchise record for most consecutive such games (Jesus Alou in 1969). In last night’s 3-2 walk-off win over the Seattle Mariners, Altuve went 3-for-5 and notched his first career walk-off hit.

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The smallest member of the Astros has been the team’s biggest offensive producer, getting on base from the lead-off spot in a variety of ways and setting up his teammates to succeed behind him – although the team’s sluggers have struggled in the season’s first month, with George Springer, Chris Carter and new addition Evan Gattis combining to hit just seven home runs and bat .174.

Can Altuve, who was an All-Star reserve last season, finally make the jump to a starting spot in this year’s Midsummer Classic? I think it’s a no-brainer, but that is just the beginning. Altuve should be in the conversation for AL MVP. He is the unquestioned leader on a team that no one saw leading its division after the first month of the season. Plus, he is the smallest player in the league and still whacks a ton of extra-base hits – nine so far this year to be exact.