HOUSTON -- After dominating throughout the month of June, Jose Altuve was named American League Player of the Month on Saturday afternoon, becoming the first second baseman in club history to earn the honor.
"It means a lot because it was my first one," Altuve said. "And it was a big month for us. To be player of the month in the month the team was winning is even better. At the end of the day, what matters is the way we're playing, but I'm really happy to be able to get on base, to be able to make those plays for my teammates and win all those games that we won last month."
Altuve had a franchise-record .420 batting average in June. Along with reaching base safely in all 26 games, the second baseman notched 42 hits, which led the AL, as well as four home runs, 15 RBIs and six stolen bases.
"I didn't know I hit .420 until Carlos Correa told me," Altuve said. "Hitting .420 in a month is not easy, I can tell you that. I knew I had a big shot to win [the award]. If I didn't win it, I was going to feel happy anyway because it was a big month for us."
The award is another notch in a career season for the three-time All-Star and 2015 AL Gold Glove Award winner. Altuve entered Saturday leading the Majors in batting average (.352), hits (111) and walks per strikeout ratio (1.22) and tied for the most stolen bases (21) in the AL this season. He was also one walk and two home runs away from tying his single-season highs in both categories.
The last Astros player to earn player of the month honors was Lance Berkman in 2008, when he was named National League Player of the Month for May.