In the fifth inning of Saturday's Mariners-Astros game (SEA-HOU GameTracker), Houston's Jose Altuve notched the 2,000th hit of his major-league career. Here's a look:
Not exactly the kind of hit Altuve was hoping for, as he was thrown out trying to advance to second, but it goes in the books as a milestone single. With the knock, Altuve becomes the 296th member of MLB's 2,000 hit club and the seventh active player to reach 2,000. Altuve is of course a many-splendored offensive player, as he also boasts plenty of power and speed. All those came together to make a bit of history with that 2,000th hit:
Speaking of which, Altuve joins Hall of Famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell as the lone players to compile 2,000 hits and 200 homers with the Astros.
Now 33, Altuve is still playing at an exceptionally high level. Coming into Saturday's tilt, he had a slash line of .318/.416/.530 for the season. That comes to an OPS+ of 160. Given how well he's retained and even improved some of his skills as he's moved into his thirties, Altuve seems like a strong bet to one day reach 3,000 hits. That plus the fact that he's closing in on 50 career WAR also means Altuve is a strong candidate to one day make the Baseball Hall of Fame.
For now, though, he'll settle for 2,000 hits and a leading role on a team with legitimate designs on repeating as World Series champions.
