After a slow start to the season, the Houston Astros have reeled off nine straight wins—the longest winning streak in the Majors since, well, the Houston Astros won 12 straight last June. There are sure to be some rough patches during a long baseball season, so let’s take advantage of the Astros’ recent excellence and reflect on some of the keys for them during this stretch.
Jose Altuve
Just a couple weeks ago, following a 6-4 Astros loss to the Rangers, Jose Altuve was slashing .174/.240/.348. Sure, we were like six games in, but it seemed as though Altuve wasn’t fully healthy and that his performance was a missing piece in a sluggish start to the season.