Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez’s defensive shift faces heavy criticism from MLB analyst

The Houston Astros are testing second baseman Jose Altuve in left field. He's practicing with the outfielders while continuing to train at second base.

Last month, Altuve said that he would be willing to shift to left field if Alex Bregman returned to the Astros. However, with Bregman now signed with the Boston Red Sox, the Astros are still exploring Altuve’s potential role in the outfield.

On Friday, MLB Network’s Brian Kenny analyzed the move, questioning how it could impact the team.

“Jose Altuve is going into his age 35 season. That obviously is post-prime for any player, especially a middle infielder. And sure enough, his hitting numbers have declined. In 2022 and 2023, he hit at an elite level.”

“You see it right there, 161 and a 151 OPS plus. 100 is league average. 51% above league average is excellent for a first baseman, let alone a second baseman. But last year, that number fell to a 126. Still quite good, but no longer at an MVP level.”

Kenny also discussed some process stats, highlighting Altuve’s chase percentage over the last three seasons: 28.6% in 2022, 32.1% in 2023, and 37.3% in 2024. The MLB analyst also pointed out Altuve’s increasing Whiff% over the same period — 16.3%, 18.7%, and 22.1%.

Jose Altuve’s move to left field would shift Yordan Alvarez to the designated hitter role. Wrapping up his analysis, Brian Kenny concluded:

“So in theory, moving Jose Altuve to left and Jordan Alvarez to DH is a lose-lose offensively.”

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MLB analyst examines whether Jose Altuve can play left field

MLB Network host Brian Kenny further explored the question of whether Jose Altuve can successfully transition to left field. He said:

“A couple of issues there as well. The throw from left field is drastically different than the throw from second base. And Altuve's arm strength has been in the bottom 25% among second basemen over the last four years. It's a different throw, but it's fair to say the arm is not great.”

Kenny also discussed Altuve’s declining sprint speed, noting that five years ago, he ranked in the 88th percentile, whereas in the last two years, he has dropped to 38th and 44th, respectively.