The start of the 2025 season for the Houston Astros has yielded negative results with a 3-5 record, following a 6-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins, in a game in which it became clear that the experiment of playing Jose Altuve in the outfield may have been a mistake.
Since Alex Bregman was in negotiations to return to the Astros, Altuve pointed out that he would be willing to leave second base so that his friend would play in Houston, which meant trying for the first time in his career as an outfielder.
Although Bregman did not reach an agreement and signed with the Boston Red Sox, the Astros traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, which opened the door for Jose Altuve to try out and play for the first time in left field.
Altuve’s outfield experiment is a mess
Baseball requires specialization in each position and changing is quite a challenge. Last season, Mookie Betts left the outfield to try his hand at shortstop and returned to the outfield during the playoffs, an unfinished adventure that he resumed for 2025 with better performance, without being the brightest of the Dodgers.
In contrast, Altuve is experiencing a nightmare after being a specialist at second base. As an outfielder, he has made costly errors for the Astros, with balls that were catchable turning into hits and causing additional runs.
The height of not having his position calibrated came in Saturday’s loss to the Minnesota Twins, when in the fourth inning, a single by Ty France to left field that seemed like a formality for any outfielder, for Altuve it was not and when trying to get the ball out of the glove and send it to the plate to avoid a run, the Venezuelan got stuck and the 1-1 entered, which began with the comeback of Minnesota.
There is no complaint about Altuve‘s offense and, if the Astros want to take advantage of the potential of one of their top figures, they should put an end to the experiment, which is not the best time to do so, if the goal is to be a contending team to return to the postseason.
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