That's still the plan, however. The Houston Chronicle reports Jose Altuve will be the Astros' opening day cleanup hitter behind a combination of Dexter Fowler, Robbie Grossman and Jason Castro. How much does that change Altuve's fantasy value?MORE ON ALTUVE: Fantasy Source debates his value
It has the look of a move that won't last long. Altuve isn't going to morph into a power hitter. He has 14 career home runs in two-plus seasons. Houston might seem like a starved-for-homers team, but the Astros did hit 148 HRs last season. The cleanup spot produced a .232 average, 28 HRs and 75 RBIs (i.e. Chris Carter).
The first two spots in the order, meanwhile, produced a .249 average and 59 stolen bases. That's more in line with what Altuve is supposed to provide for real-life and fantasy baseball teams.
Altuve led all second basemen with 35 stolen bases, and he's a .285 career hitter. A move to the cleanup spot means a change in approach, less stolen bases and likely more pressing at the plate. Keep in mind Altuve hits .257 with runners in scoring position and .280 with nobody on.MORE FANTASY: New Faces, New Places | Draft Kit | Join Fantasy Source for $4.99 per month
All that said, don't just close the books on Altuve. He's still at top-12 second basemen, and it's worth a shot to see what he can do in this spot. But it also still feels like a temporary move. Top prospect George Springer will be with Houston before too long, and if Grossman flops in the No. 2 spot, Altuve easily could be bumped back up.
The point is Houston's lineup is anything but a finished product. Hang tight with Altuve.
