Jose Altuve’s next playoff game will make bizarre MLB history

The Houston Astros officially clinched their return to the postseason on Sunday, making their presence a familiar sight for anyone who has followed the playoffs over the last decade. By winning the AL West division on the last day of the regular season, the Astros will make their 10th postseason appearance in the last twelve seasons, dating back to 2015. 

The Astros’ run of appearances means future Hall of Famer Jose Altuve will have a chance to climb a unique leaderboard after Tuesday’s Game 1 appearance in the American League Wild Card series against the Chicago White Sox.

The longtime second baseman will surpass the New York Mets franchise for most postseason appearances in his career, as Altuve is currently tied with the club at 105 playoff games. 

Altuve’s 105 postseason appearances alone currently rank higher than 17 Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises all time. For comparison, the White Sox, who qualified for the postseason by claiming the third and final wild card spot, have played only 62 postseason games in franchise history since joining the American League in 1901, a span of 125 years. 

For Altuve, his 105 postseason appearances have taken place across just 16 seasons, all with the Astros. The franchise itself has played in 161 total postseason games, with Altuve participating in approximately 62.5 percent of them.

The Astros will need a vintage Altuve, along with the rest of his teammates firing on all cylinders, if they plan to make legit noise in their pursuit of another American League pennant. The Astros have earned the unique distinction of being the worst division winner in MLB history with just an 81-81 record, all while being outscored by 32 runs over the course of the season.

However, Vegas oddsmakers seem to slightly favor the AL West champions moving on to the next round. 

According to DraftKings, the Astros are slight favorites to win the series at −145, while the White Sox are slight underdogs to win at +125. The Astros won five of the seven regular-season matchups against the White Sox.

All Astros games against the White Sox will be televised live on Peacock and NBC Sports Network, with Game 1 on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 4 p.m. CT. Game two will be on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 4 p.m. CT, and if necessary, Game 3 will be on Thursday, Oct. 1, with a time still TBD.