Here's more evidence that the tide is turning on perception of Astros' Jose Altuve
THEY FINALLY SEE THE LIGHT
21 February 2024
Baseball season is right around the corner and the Astros are preparing to make another run at a World Series title in 2024. This Saturday, Ronel Blanco will start the Astros first game of spring training against the Washington Nationals.
Jose Altuve made big news recently when he signed a 5-year $125 million extension with Houston, basically making him an Astro for life.
That piece of news seemed to play a role in the making of this video about Jose Altuve and the unjustified amount of hate he has received from the scandal in 2017.
This certainly isn't breaking news for any Astros fan, but it's nice to see outlets that aren't Houston branded pumping the brakes on the criticism he's received over the last several years.
iTalk Studios is a YouTube channel with 146K subscribers, and they put together this video to outline what actually took place in 2017 and highlight how Altuve took the brunt of the blowback from the scandal. Even though he wasn't a willing participant.
We found it refreshing to hear talking points that Houston fans have been saying for years. The video discusses the evidence from Signstealing.com, how winning the MVP over Aaron Judge factored into the hate, and the nonsense buzzer conspiracy that still has Yankee fans chanting “F-Altuve” even when the Astros aren't in town.
The video above is not perfect, there's no mention of the Yankees and Red Sox cheating. And even Justin Verlander catches some criticism, along with Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Alex Bregman. But overall, it's nice to see Houston fans aren't the only ones that realize Jose Altuve didn't deserve to be the face of the scandal.
Quiet variables that could shape Astros’ series with Cleveland
Jul 7, 2025, 12:52 pm
The Houston Astros return home riding high and red-hot, while the Cleveland Guardians limp into Daikin Park desperately searching for answers.
Winners of eight of their last ten, the Astros (55-35) open a three-game set Monday night against a Guardians club that hasn’t won in ten straight. Houston has risen to the top of the AL West thanks to a combination of dominant pitching and a surging offense, and they’ll look to keep that momentum rolling behind rookie lefty Colton Gordon (3-1, 4.37 ERA). Gordon has given Houston quality innings over the past month, and he’ll get the ball against a Guardians offense that has been ice-cold in July.
Cleveland (40-48) enters the night on a three-game road skid and with just 20 wins away from home all season. They’re hitting just .166 over their last ten games and have been outscored by 33 runs during that stretch. If they’re going to end the slide, they’ll need right-hander Tanner Bibee (4-9, 4.10 ERA) to contain an Astros lineup that’s been clicking. The 25-year-old Bibee has been better than his record shows, but Houston’s .304 team average over the last ten games suggests he’ll have his hands full.
All eyes remain on Jose Altuve, who has caught fire with 13 hits and four homers in his last 10 games. On the Cleveland side, Jose Ramirez continues to be the heartbeat of the offense, leading the club in homers, RBIs, and batting average. But he’ll need help, something that’s been sorely lacking during the Guardians’ recent skid.
Houston has been dominant at Daikin Park with a 32-14 home record, and if recent trends hold, they’ll be a tough draw for a Guardians team in freefall. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -162, Guardians +136; over/under is 7 1/2 runs
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