Houston Astros great Jose Altuve has moved back to second base, and he’s about to return to another familiar home.
The Astros are all but assured of their ninth consecutive postseason berth, and Altuve has consistently delivered in October. The Astros’ perennial deep playoff runs — last year marked the first time that Houston didn’t play in the ALCS since missing the 2016 postseason — and he has the numbers to show it.
You won’t be surprised, then, to learn that Altuve ranks among the top-10 hitters in several playoff categories. Even if you consider Altuve a borderline Hall of Famer based on his regular-season numbers, it’s hard to look past his October statistics and suggest that he doesn’t deserve a spot in Cooperstown. Altuve enters the 2025 playoffs with a .271 average, 27 home runs, 56 RBIs, and an impressive .841 OPS across nearly 500 plate appearances.
Altuve has two rings (and counting) to show for it, and he’s positioned himself to climb the postseason record books this fall.
Can Jose Altuve break any postseason records in 2025?
JOSE ALTUVE FOR THE LEAD!! 💪 #ALCS pic.twitter.com/uUlrRc9b5f
— MLB (@MLB) October 21, 2023
Entering the 2025 MLB postseason, here’s a full look at where Altuve stands among the all-time playoff leaderboards. Although Altuve’s .271 average and .841 OPS are solid in their own right, neither cracked their respective top-10 lists.
Postseason statistic | Jose Altuve's current total | Who is ahead of him? |
|---|---|---|
Games played | 105 | Derek Jeter (158), Jorge Posada (125), Bernie Williams (121), David Justice (112), Manny Ramírez (111) |
At-bats | 436 | Derek Jeter (650), Bernie Williams (465) |
Plate appearances | 484 | Derek Jeter (734), Bernie Williams (545), Manny Ramírez (493), Jorge Posada (492) |
Runs scored | 89 | Derek Jeter (111) |
Hits | 118 | Derek Jeter (200), Bernie Williams (128) |
Total bases | 220 | Derek Jeter (302), Bernie Williams (223), Manny Ramírez (223) |
Doubles | 21 | Derek Jeter (32), Bernie Williams (29), Jorge Posada (23), David Ortiz (22), Mookie Betts (22) |
Home runs | 27 | Manny Ramírez (29) |
Runs batted in | 56 | Bernie Williams (80), Manny Ramírez (78), David Justice (63), Carlos Correa (63), Derek Jeter (61), David Ortiz (61) |
Singles | 70 | Derek Jeter (143), Yadier Molina (79), Bernie Williams (77), Kenny Lofton (74) |
Most of those names are unsurprising. Jeter, Williams, and Posada were key members of a Yankees organization that reached the World Series seven times from 1996 through 2009. Although Ramírez is best known for his heroics with the Boston Red Sox, don’t forget that he played 52 postseason games with the Cleveland Indians, nine more games than he did with the Red Sox.
David Justice played in 112 postseason games with four teams, including 46 with the Braves, and Lofton suited up for 11 teams in a 17-year career. We’d assume that you know the more modern players like Betts and Correa.
5 years ago today, Jose Altuve sent the Astros to the World Series with a walk-off home run against Aroldis Chapman pic.twitter.com/ApSFkfLq2K
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 19, 2024
Realistically, the only record Altuve can set this postseason is passing Ramírez in home runs. Although it might be funny to imagine the 5-foot-6, 167-pound Altuve as the playoff home run king, keep in mind that he has over 250 regular-season homers. Altuve also has two 31-home run seasons and has regularly topped the 20-homer mark. He might be small, but he has some pop in his bat.
Could Altuve pass Bernie Williams in RBIs? Probably not, seeing as only three players — Adolis García (22 in 2023), David Freese (21 in 2011), and Corey Seager (20 in 2020) — have ever topped 20 in a single postseason. At least all three of their teams wound up winning the World Series.
Otherwise, Altuve’s goal should be to keep climbing the leaderboards. A strong postseason showing can definitely push him into the top three in RBIs, and he’s on the verge of joining Derek Jeter as the only player with 130 playoff hits. Not too bad for an undersized second baseman out of Venezuela.