José Altuve -- Prospect Evaluation

Scout Al Pedrique discovered Jose Altuve in February 2007 during a tryout camp in the Dominican Republic after his original trip to Venezuela was delayed. At 16 years old, Altuve impressed Pedrique with his 60-yard dash times, quick hands, surprising power, and notably his confidence and ability to drive the ball to right-center field. Pedrique told other coaches to "keep this kid, he can swing it." The Astros signed Altuve in March 2007. Ten years later, the 27-year-old has become one of baseball's elite hitters. He completed his fourth consecutive season with 200+ hits in 2017, winning his third batting title with a career-best .346/.410/.547 slash line while adding 24 home runs and 32 stolen bases (his sixth straight season with 30+ steals). Playing at 5-foot-6 and 165 pounds, Altuve's diminutive stature historically caused scouts to overlook players of his size, though the Astros' Latin American scouting had previously succeeded with larger-framed players like Bobby Abreu and Carlos Guillen. Altuve's 2017 performance, which helped the Astros to a 101-win season, earned him Baseball America's Major League Player of the Year award.

Alfredo Pedrique, then the Houston Astros' Latin American coordinator, signed José Altuve in 2006-07 based on a scouting report that made no mention of the prospect's height. The report projected Altuve as a capable line-drive hitter who could average .270-.290 with defensive work needed, but emphasized his intelligence, drive, and self-belief. Pedrique, now 57 and currently Oakland A's first base coach, recalled applying the old-school scouting principles taught by late Venezuelan scout Andrés Reiner, which emphasized never excluding prospects based on first impressions. While other organizations passed on Altuve due to his 5-foot-6 stature, the Astros allowed him to continue playing in their academy and liked what they saw enough to sign him. The decision proved prescient: Altuve became the 2017 AL MVP, a three-time batting champion, and eventually signed a five-year extension worth $151 million through 2024, far exceeding the expectations of Pedrique's original evaluation.

The Houston Astros' decision to sign Jose Altuve is recounted through the perspective of the scout responsible for identifying him. According to the scout, the primary rationale for bringing Altuve into the organization centered on his exceptional desire and work ethic rather than his physical profile. The scout's recommendation was straightforward: "Just Sign The Kid, He Wants A Chance," emphasizing that Altuve's motivation and willingness to compete outweighed conventional concerns about his size as a shortstop prospect. This account demonstrates how the Astros organization valued intangible qualities and determination in their player evaluation process. The signing ultimately proved prescient, as Altuve developed into one of baseball's premier players and a cornerstone of the Astros franchise.

Mike's scouting report from ScoutingtheSally.com ranks Jose Altuve third among Sally League second basemen. The Houston Astros prospect, listed at 5'5", impressed with a .301/.357/.448 slash line and 42 stolen bases at age 20. While the scout acknowledges limited historical precedent for players of Altuve's stature achieving professional success, he notes the statistical performance deserves respect and identifies Altuve as standing out from a scouting evaluation perspective. The commentary rebuts the precedent concern, noting that approximately 71 of roughly 10,000 major league players throughout history have been similarly short, representing roughly 1% of all major leaguers.