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. He beat out Mookie Betts and David Ortiz for the Player of the Year Award and Betts and Mike Trout for the AL Most Outstanding Player Award. Additionally, for the second straight year, Altuve earned the Majestic "Always Game" Award, which is given to the player who - game in and game out - constantly exhibits grit, tenacity, perseverance and hustle; all for the benefit of his teammates and fans.
The Players Choice Awards, which have been in existence since 1992, are voted on by Major League players. The players 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 regardless of league.
Altuve won the AL batting title with a .338 (216x640) average, while posting 108 runs scored, 42 doubles, 24 home runs, 96 RBI, 60 walks, 30 stolen bases, a .396 on-base percentage, a .531 slugging percentage and a .928 OPS. He led all Major League players in hits, while ranking third in batting average, fourth in WAR (7.6) and fifth in total bases (340). He also ranked in the top 10 in the Majors in stolen bases, doubles and in OBP.
His historic season is one of the best by a second baseman in Major League history, as he became the first second baseman to reach 100 runs, 200 hits, 40 doubles, 20 homers, 95 RBI and 30 steals in a single season. He's just the fifth player in Major League history to reach all of those marks, regardless of position. By winning the batting title for the second time in the last three seasons, Altuve became the first second baseman to win multiple batting titles since Rod Carew won five between the 1969-75 seasons.
Altuve becomes the first player in franchise history to win the MLBPA Player of the Year and the second to win the Most Outstanding Player in his league, joining Jeff Bagwell, who won the NL Most Outstanding Player Award in 1994. The Astros have had two MLBPA Most Outstanding Rookies in Carlos Correa (2015) and Willy Taveras (2005) and two MLBPA Pitcher of the Year winners in Dallas Keuchel (2015) and Mike Hampton (1999).
Earlier this offseason, Altuve took home the 2016 Sporting News Player of the Year, an award which is also voted on by players from both leagues and given to the Major League player who had the most outstanding season. On Monday, Altuve, Betts and Trout were named the three finalists for the BBWAA AL Most Valuable Player.
In addition to Monday's announcement, Keuchel earned his third consecutive Gold Glove last night, while winners of the Silver Sluggers will be announced tomorrow. The BBWAA AL and NL MVP Award winners will be announced live on MLB Network on Nov. 17.
In his brief career, Altuve has earned four All-Star Game appearances (two starts), two Silver Slugger Awards, a Gold Glove Award, two batting titles and two stolen base titles.
-ASTROS-