Ever since debuting in H-Town in July of 2011, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve has not only been a fan favorite but has provided some of the most historic moments in the team's history.
The second half of his 2017 AL MVP season was filled with heart and passion in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, a moment that truly brought the city of Houston together as the Astros would defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in a thrilling seven games to clinch their first ever World Series championship.
And who could forget the future Hall of Famer's walk-off home run off of Aroldis Chapman in the 2019 ALCS to send Houston back to the Fall Classic?
The 2010s and 20s that Altuve has been the heart and soul of the team gave not just a team but an entire city a newfound hope as their expectations for the team rose with every strong run.
But let's face it, Altuve is 35 years old, and all good things have to come to an end eventually.
And that end may be sooner than Houston fans are willing to admit.
Before the 2024 season, the team and Altuve signed on a five-year, $125 million extension, keeping him on board with the team through the 2029 season.
And now the team has to begin to think about the long-term implications of this deal.
So far in 2025, Altuve has produced an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .737, and this comes just one year removed from a .790 OPS, Altuve's first year since 2013 where it finished below .800.
And as many Houston fans know, the big extension of Altuve played a massive part in the team losing two other key pieces in third baseman Alex Bregman and right fielder Kyle Tucker, who are performing extraordinarily well with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, respectively.
And to make matters worse for the nine-time All-Star, his personal WAR in 2025 is a -0.3.
Yes, that's a negative point three wins above replacement, which would be a career-low for Altuve in a full-length season.
However, baseball is still a team sport, and even despite their star's struggles, the Astros still lead the American League West over the Seattle Mariners by six games.