MLB Twitter buzzing in anticipation at the prospect of Jose Altuve facing Houston Astros players for the first time in his career

Houston Astros All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve is representing his home country, Team Venezuela in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Similarly, his Astros teammates are representing other teams in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Dominican Republic pitchers Bryan Abreu, Ronel Blanco, Cristian Javier, Rafael Montero, and Hector Neris will compete against Ryan Pressly and Kyle Tucker representing the United States. The Dominican Republic will also feature Jeremy Pena on the field.

Luis Garcia, José Urquidy, Martin Maldonado, Colton Gordon, and Derek West will all compete for their nations (Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Israel, and the Netherlands, respectively).

The Houston Astros were found to have used technology to steal signs from opposing teams during their 2017 championship-winning season. The scandal rocked baseball and led to the suspension and firing of several members of the Astros organization.

One of the players implicated in the scandal was second baseman Jose Altuve. Altuve will face Astros players for the first time in his career at the WBC 2023 and MLB Twitter is in a frenzy.

"For the first time in his career, Jose Altuve will face the Houston Astros." - Houston Astros

Here are some of the comments:

Apparently, Altuve denied the sign-stealing allegations, and an investigation by Major League Baseball found no evidence to support the claims. Despite the investigation's findings, Altuve and the Astros continued to face criticism and suspicion from other teams and fans.

Jose Altuve always wanted to represent his country at international tournaments

League Championship Series - New York Yankees v Houston Astros - Game Seven

Ever since he was a child, Houston Astros All-Star Jose Altuve has always wanted to represent Venezuela on international platforms. His dream is coming true in the 2023 World Baseball classic.

“Since I remember, probably (as a) 10-, 11-year-old kid, I was trying to make a Venezuelan team to go in the world championships and stuff. It’s always a dream for me and for every single Venezuelan kid, Dominican kid, Puerto Rican, American kid to represent their country. I’m really excited, and it’s going to bring a lot of memories," said Jose Altuve.

"The image speaks for itself: Eugenio Suárez, José Altuve and Miguel Cabrera." - Las Mayores

Altuve will be in the starting lineup for Team Venezuela along with MLB players Luis Arraez, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Salvador Perez.