Jose Altuve is a beast. Don’t let his 5’6” frame and happy go lucky attitude fool you; this guy is one of the most feared players in all of the baseball. With the recent hitting tear, he is on; many MLB experts are starting to wonder if he can begin flirting with baseball immortality - that is finishing the 2017 MLB season with a .400 or higher batting average.

A July hotter than fireworks

When a batter is locked in at the plate, they have been known to say that the baseball looks bigger, or that things seem to move in slow motion. In other words, their focus is at an all-time high.

That’s where Jose Altuve is right now. It seems like a day doesn’t buy without Altuve getting on base, making a great play in the field or scoring a crucial run. In fact, he seems to do all three of those things on a daily basis!

Heading into Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Altuve is currently riding a 17 game hitting-streak while carrying a whopping .494 batting average in the month of July. The run Altuve is on would have former MLB greats like George Brett, Ted Williams, Hank Greenberg, Pete Rose and Ty Cobb taking a second look. Even more importantly, Altuve is helping lead the charge that has the Houston Astros on a pace that should not only get them a playoff spot but possibly earn them home field advantage throughout the postseason.

Can Jose hit the magical .400 mark?

When MLB hitters finish the season above .300, it is safe to say they had a pretty darn good season. However, if you finish above .400, you are in the rare air! Since baseballs conception back in 1887 or so, only 35 players had hit .400 or higher, with the last coming in 1941 when Boston’s Ted Williams finished the season with a .406 batting average.

Now hitting .364, it is not out of the realm that Altuve could be flirting with .400 this August. Altuve would have to hit over .320 in August and September to hit the magical .400 mark, but that is something he has been doing all season long. According to Baseball-Almanac, the highest MLB batting average ever recorded was back in 1887 when St.

Louis' Tip O'Neill hit .485.

After his incredible month of July, Altuve has also started climbing the ranks in the American League MVP talk. As of today, the top two favorites to win AL MVP are Jose Altuve and Aaron Judge of the Yankees. Other favorites include Altuve's teammates George Springer and Carlos Correa and Boston's Mookie Betts. Altuve is proving that good things can come in small packages.
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