Throughout the month of August, Houston Astros' second baseman Jose Altuve put together a strong performance as he had one of his best months from the plate so far this season.
The Houston Astros have had an up-and-down season thus far, however, second baseman Jose Altuve put together a strong month of August from the plate, which could be a great sign with the playoffs just around the corner.
Following the 6-3 home win last night against the Chicago White Sox, the Astros now move to 70-68 on the year and have a two-game lead over the Texas Rangers for the top spot in the AL West.
In the final game for the month of August, Altuve was given the night off so he could rest a bit, which did end his streak of 15 consecutive starts, but it could be good for the Astros long-term for this season.
So, with the month of August officially over, let's take a look at Altuve's stats and see how impactful he really was for the Astros in his chances at the plate.
In August, Altuve had 91 at-bats, and in those opportunities, he tallied 12 total runs, 28 hits, two home runs, 11 RBIs, was walked nine times, and posted a batting average of .308. Additionally, Altuve recorded an OBP of .373, a SLG of .440, and an OPS of .812, which were all his best since March.
So, when looking at Altuve's performance in August, it is very clear that it is one of his best months of the season thus far, and it really couldn't have come at a better time since the postseason is quickly approaching and the Astros are looking to clinch the AL West.
When compared to the rest of the Houston lineup, Altuve appears to have had one of the better performances for the entire month across the board.
As a result of Altuve's performance in August, he ranked third on the team in total runs with 12, first on the team in hits with 28, tied for third on the team in RBIs with 11, third on the team in batting average with an average of .308, and was tied for third on the team in on-base percentage (OBP) with a .373.
So, looking at Altuve's statistical performance in the month of August it is clear that he has done a great job from the plate and at least for now he seems to be trending in the right direction to possibly be a huge difference makes in the postseason.
With Altuve now getting into a rhythm, the Astros are in a great position, as they also have Yordan Alvarez having a great season, chasing after the Triple Crown. Currently, Alvarez is leading the American League in batting average, home runs, and RBIs, which has put him in a great position to secure the Triple Crown.
Getting back to Altuve, his performance in August has been tremendous and is a key reason why the Astros have been to maintain their lead in the AL West and stay in a solid position to be able to make the playoffs.
So, as the Astros head into September, it will be interesting to see if Altuve can replicate his performance in August to provide consistent offense from the plate and potentially help Houston climb the standings to help put them in an even better position for a deep postseason run.
