SAN ANTONIO – Baseball fans have spoken: the shortest and tallest Astros are heading to another Midsummer Classic.
Houston second baseman Jose Altuve and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez were announced as American League starters Wednesday night for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.
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In all, Altuve, listed on Houston’s roster at 5-foot-6, will make his ninth All-Star Game as an Astro, extending his franchise record. Back in February, 10 months before he would have hit the free agency market, Altuve and the Astros announced a new five-year contract extension that would keep him in Houston through 2029, his age-39 season.
Altuve joined the Astros’ major league roster in 2011 and remains one of the most feared hitters in baseball. He entered Wednesday with a .308 batting average (eighth-best in Major League Baseball), 17 doubles, 13 home runs and 38 runs batted in.
His 106 hits to date suggest 2024 could be another 200-hit season for him. This year will also mark the sixth time Altuve has been voted as an All-Star starter.
Alvarez, a burly 6-foot-5 slugger, will suit up in his third All-Star Game and his first as a starter. He had an up-and-down April and May, but Alvarez has rounded back into form in June.
Last month, he hit .349 with seven home runs and 19 runs batted in. He also owns the American League’s second-best on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.057) over the last 30 days.
The Texas Rangers and Globe Life Field will serve as host of the MLB All-Star Game on July 16.
The Rangers did not have any players selected as starters, but they will have at least one representative chosen as an All-Star reserve.