WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — At the Houston Astros’ spring training complex, Field 1 can be a tricky place to navigate, particularly with the unpredictable South Florida winds. The breeze often disrupts the usual power-hitting displays fans expect during batting practice, and tracking fly balls that fall short can become an unpredictable challenge. It was on this field Monday morning that José Altuve, the nine-time All-Star second baseman, faced the first test of what may be a major transition in his career: playing left field.
Altuve, who has made his mark as a fixture at second base, took to the field for a workout where he practiced tracking fly balls off a fungo bat, making over-the-shoulder catches, and focusing on his first step. After finishing his session, he flashed a smile, and manager Joe Espada commented on how naturally the drill came to him. “It comes natural to him,” Espada said. “I’m not surprised because José Altuve is just an elite athlete.”
The next few weeks of spring training will be crucial in determining whether Altuve’s experiment with left field could become a permanent part of the Astros’ future. What initially seemed like a temporary shift, possibly in an effort to accommodate Alex Bregman, now appears to be a genuine part of the team’s post-Bregman reality. Moving Altuve off second base is being seriously considered, and Monday’s session helped to highlight that this is no longer just an afterthought.
After Altuve finished his left field drills, the Astros transitioned to their middle infielders, with Jeremy Peña at shortstop and Mauricio Dubón at second base. Altuve took a seat on a bucket in foul territory, observing his teammates, a quiet moment of reflection after his own workout.
Spring training will ultimately be the deciding factor on Altuve’s ability to handle left field, but as he explained, there’s still much to determine. “Spring training will tell us a lot about it,” Altuve said when asked about his potential to play left field regularly. “Later on, I can give you a better answer, but for now, I just want to prepare, get ready everywhere I play and focus on being 100 percent and ready for the season.”
True to the team’s month-long stance, neither Altuve nor Espada divulged specifics about his role moving forward. Altuve himself didn’t want to commit to a number of games he’d play in left field, instead saying it would depend on “what they request.” When asked if he had a preference for playing second base or left field, Altuve responded without hesitation: “I want to play. I want to be in the lineup. I want to help this team win, keep hitting doubles and triples and homers for this team. It doesn’t really matter where I play. I’m going to try to do my best.”
Altuve’s willingness to put the team first is characteristic of his career, and it’s a rare level of selflessness, especially for a player of his stature. In contrast, players like Rafael Devers of the Red Sox have voiced reluctance to take on roles outside of their comfort zone, such as DHing full-time. The fact that Altuve is accepting of the Astros’ decision to explore moving him to a new position speaks volumes about his character, a luxury that few teams with championship aspirations would take for granted.
“His willingness to do what the team needs is most important,” said first baseman Christian Walker, who had just one day as a teammate of Altuve. “I think that’s honorable.”
Altuve revealed that the Astros approached him about moving to left field after last season, but he didn’t go into detail about the team’s rationale. He did say that the club simply felt he had the potential to be effective there. “They just thought I could play a good left field,” Altuve said, though he quickly added that he was trying not to focus too much on the conversation about his position change. “I want to get rid of this left field conversation, try to answer every question possible and just move on and start preparing for what we all care about, which is preparing for the season and start winning.”
Despite Monday’s session in left field, very little is set in stone about Altuve’s future in the outfield. The Astros had not even held their first full-squad workout by the time Altuve participated, and Altuve himself didn’t even have an outfield glove of his own. Yordan Alvarez graciously loaned him his for the day. Afterward, Altuve joked about his minor mishap with one fly ball he dropped, attributing it to the unfamiliar glove.
“He’s an athlete. People don’t realize how good he moves,” said Dubón, who is accustomed to switching between infield and outfield. “Out of all these people, he’s the one that can go from second to the outfield. Sometimes he makes it look easy — it’s not that easy. It’s hard. Catching ground balls then the next one has to go to the outfield. But out of all people, José can do it.”
Though he’ll turn 35 in May, Altuve’s physical capabilities remain impressive. Last season, he covered 27.1 feet per second on average when sprinting, just shy of the league average of 27.2. Both Altuve and the team believe he still has the speed to cover ground in the outfield, and his innate athleticism should help him with quick reads and his first step.
One potential concern, however, is Altuve’s arm strength. His infield arm has been considered one of the weakest in baseball, and adding more distance between him and his target in the outfield may only exacerbate that weakness. Still, there is optimism that Altuve’s momentum when he throws can compensate for his arm strength, and having a defensive standout like Jake Meyers in center field can help ease the pressure on Altuve.
That said, the situation isn’t perfect. Altuve has never played a professional inning in the outfield, and such experiments aren’t typical for teams with championship aspirations. However, Altuve is adamant that the goal remains the same: winning.
“The goal remains the same, which is winning,” Altuve stated. “We’re going to go ahead and do it.”
The offseason was marked by significant departures for the Astros, with three of Altuve’s longtime teammates leaving for other teams or better offers. Altuve had even lobbied for the team to keep Bregman, whom he credited with making the entire organization better over the years. “He made this entire organization better,” Altuve said of Bregman.
Though Altuve’s departure from second base and the potential transition to the outfield marks a shift, he remains committed to the Astros’ success. “As long as I’m in the lineup,” he concluded, “I’ll be happy and ready to play.” Even as the franchise evolves, Altuve’s leadership and adaptability will remain integral to the Astros’ quest for another championship.
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