Altuve receives two Players Choice awards

HOUSTON, TX - The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) announced the winners of their highest honors tonight, naming Astros second baseman Jose Altuve the MLB Player of the Year and the AL Most Outstanding Player. This marks the second consecutive year that Altuve has won both awards.
Altuve is the third player to win the MLB Player of the Year award in consecutive seasons since the award's inception in 1998, joining Miguel Cabrera (2012-13) and Albert Pujols (2008-09). He is the fourth player in the 26-year history of the Players Choice Awards to win the AL Most Outstanding Player award in consecutive seasons, joining Cabrera (2012-13), Alex Rodriguez (2001-03) and Frank Thomas (1993-94).
Altuve topped finalists Nolan Arenado and Giancarlo Stanton for the MLB Player of the Year Award, and finalists Aaron Judge and José Ramirez for the AL Most Outstanding Player Award.
The Players Choice Awards, which have been in existence since 1992, are voted on by Major League players, who annually honor the outstanding player, rookie, pitcher and comeback player in each league, and name a Player of the Year and Man of the Year award winner regardless of league.
Altuve won his third career and second consecutive batting title in 2017, and helped lead the Astros to their first World Series Championship in franchise history. During the regular season, he posted a .346 batting average and an American League-high 204 hits, becoming the first player in Major League history to be the outright leader in hits in his league in four consecutive seasons. Altuve became the 11th player in MLB history to record at least 200 hits in four straight years. He led the Majors in WAR (8.4), while ranking among the top 10 American League players in runs (T-2nd, 112), on-base percentage (3rd, .410), stolen bases (3rd, 32), OPS (3rd, .957), total bases (5th, 323), slugging percentage (6th, .547) and doubles (T-9th, 39).
Altuve is the only player in franchise history to win the MLB Player of the Year award, and the first to win multiple Most Outstanding Player awards, as Jeff Bagwell won the NL Most Outstanding Player award in 1994. The Astros have had two Most Outstanding Rookies in Carlos Correa (2015) and Willy Taveras (2005), and two Pitcher of the Year winners in Dallas Keuchel (2015) and Mike Hampton (1999). 
This offseason is shaping up to be a busy awards season for Altuve, who has already been named the 2017 Sporting News Player of the Year, and 2017 AL Hank Aaron Award winner. On Monday, Altuve was named one of three finalists for the BBWAA AL Most Valuable Player award, which will be announced live on MLB Network on Thursday, Nov. 16.
In addition to Altuve being named a finalist for a BBWAA award, Astros manager AJ Hinch was named a finalist for the AL Manager of the Year award. The Louisville Silver Slugger Award winners will be announced tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT, while the AL Manager of the Year award winner will be announced live on MLB Network on Tuesday, Nov. 14.
The 27-year-old Altuve has earned five All-Star Game appearances (three starts), three Silver Slugger Awards, a Gold Glove Award, three batting titles and two stolen base titles in his seven-year Major League career.
-ASTROS-