José Altuve

José Carlos Altuve (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈtuβe]; born May 6, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Altuve made his major league debut in July 2011. As of 2014, he is the shortest active MLB player at 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m).

Altuve has been selected to three All-Star Games, making his first All-Star Game start in 2015. In 2014, he became the first player in over 80 years to reach 130 hits and 40 stolen bases before the All-Star Game. That same season he became the first Astro to win the batting title after hitting .341.

Professional career

Minor leagues

Altuve attended a tryout at the Houston Astros' facility in Venezuela. He was cut as the Astros felt he was too short. With the encouragement of his father, Altuve returned to the next tryout session, and was eventually given an evaluation. The Astros signed Altuve before the 2007 season as an undrafted free agent for a $15,000 signing bonus.

After a strong 2007 season in the Venezuelan Summer League in which he hit .343, he came to the United States in 2008 and hit .284 in 40 games for the Greeneville Astros in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He returned to Greeneville in '09 and hit .324 with 21 steals in just 45 games, earning him a spot on the league all-star team, team MVP honors, and a promotion to the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League for two games. He began 2010 with the Lexington Legends of the Class A South Atlantic League, hitting .308 with 39 steals and 11 home runs and earning a spot on the league all-star team, then moved up to the Lancaster JetHawks in the Class A-Advanced California League and hit .276.