José Altuve, born on May 6, 1990, in Maracay, Venezuela, is the iconic second baseman for the Houston Astros, having debuted in 2011 and is the longest-tenured current member, being the only one who played for the team in the National League era. Despite being the shortest active MLB player at just 5 feet 6 inches, he became a premier contact hitter, winning three batting titles (2014-2017) and leading the league in hits four straight years, even setting a franchise record with 225 hits in 2014. Altuve earned the 2017 AL MVP Award and was a key figure in the Astros' 2017 and 2022 World Series championships, while also capturing the 2019 ALCS MVP and a record-tying 7 Silver Slugger Awards for a second baseman. In the postseason, he ranks second all-time in home runs (27) and is considered one of the greatest clutch playoff hitters in history, alongside his nine All-Star selections (the most for an Astro). Interestingly, he was initially rejected from a tryout at age 16 for being "too short," but he returned with his birth certificate and eventually signed in 2007. Though he faced criticism during the 2017 sign-stealing scandal, subsequent reports confirmed he did not participate, and he was also co-Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year with J.J. Watt for hurricane relief efforts in 2017.