Jose Altuve made a significant change in the Houston Astros lineup on Monday when he requested to bat second instead of his usual leadoff spot. The 15-year veteran made this adjustment due to his transition from second base to left field this season, requiring a little extra time to adjust to his new position.
Altuve explained, “I just need like that little extra time to come from left field, and he decided to put Jeremy [Peña] there.”
Jeremy Peña, the Astros’ shortstop, has the second-best on-base percentage on the team at .327, only behind third baseman Isaac Paredes. Altuve’s OBP has dipped to .310 this season, down from his career mark of .362.
Despite the change, Altuve had a successful game against the Detroit Tigers, going 2-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI in Houston’s 8-5 victory. Altuve noted that he has experience batting second during George Springer’s time with the Astros.
Altuve stated, “My at-bats haven’t been going the way I wanted lately. So, maybe hitting with [Peña] on the base, or whoever is gonna help me to get to the point I want to and I hit second before when Springer was here. I think that extra time is gonna help me, and to get a better approach.”
This change marks the first time Altuve hasn’t been in the leadoff spot for the Astros since June 17, 2023. Throughout his career, Altuve has predominantly batted leadoff, with 918 leadoff appearances out of his 1,847 career games.
Altuve, the 2017 American League MVP, boasts a career batting average of .303 with an OBP of .365, 223 doubles, 138 home runs, 413 RBI, and 159 stolen bases. This season, he has batted .274/.310/.377 at leadoff, compared to a .296/.352/.441 slash average last year.
The lineup change could potentially ignite the Astros’ offense, which has struggled this season, ranking 10th among AL clubs in batting average, OPS, and runs scored. In his first game batting second, Altuve’s performance helped secure a win against the Tigers.
Altuve’s adjustment to the lineup seems to have paid off, as the Astros look to improve their offensive production this season.