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Wednesday, February 27, 2013
 Fantasy impact: Altuve batting No. 2
By Jason A. Churchill

 Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is among the better second baseman in baseball. He has good on-base skills, plays and can steal bases. He posted very strong numbers in both areas in his first full season in the big leagues in 2012 with a .340 on-base percentage and 33 stolen bases. Skipper Bo Porter said Wednesday in spring camp that Altuve will bat second, with Marwin Gonzalez or Tyler Greene leading off for the 'Stros.

That begs the question: Could this remove stolen base opportunities for Altuve and reduce his fantasy value?

It very well could, but there are several factors to consider when assessing Altuve's draft value. First, what kind of manager is Porter? Does he like to push the envelope on the bases? We don't know just yet, but it's difficult to imagine Altuve being given the red light a whole lot, particularly considering the lack of offense the club figures to roll out there in 2013.

Altuve can help fantasy owners -- even if Porter is a bit more conservative -- by getting on base even more than he did a year ago. He doesn't work deep counts and draw a lot of walks, but he does make consistent contact and figures to play everyday.

It's worth noting that a year ago Altuve served in the No. 2 spot in the order for more than 200 plate appearances and he thrived in the role, batting .318/.353/.423 with 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts.

The ESPN Fantasy Projections don't seem to be too confident in Altuve for 2013, however, predicting a drop in batting average, on-base percentage and stolen bases. He does rank as the No. 8 fantasy second baseman, but the scouting world has never loved Altuve's upside and in moving to the American League West he certainly won't be getting any breaks in terms of the opposing pitchers. Altuve could be asked to sacrifice himself more at the plate this season, limiting his value. I'm not a big Fantasy Baseball player anymore, but I might take a flier on Danny Espinosa or Rickie Weeks before Altuve, despite their own issues with consistency and injuries.

ESPN Fantasy Expert Eric Karabell still likes Altuve's chances to swipe bases, regardless of where in the order he bats:

Eric Karabell
Altuve's still a good bet
"As long as Altuve hits at the top of the Houston order, he’s going to provide enough fantasy goodness to be a starting second baseman, or top 100 player. We do know, however, that stolen base production is not really predicated or adversely affected by lineup position, so in theory Altuve could hit lower in the order and still swipe 30-plus bases. I like him hitting first or second, though, and don’t underestimate potential sleepers in Houston’s lineup helping him score 90-plus runs. Frankly, Tyler Greene, Chris Carter and Justin Maxwell are decent sleepers in deep formats."