The Mount Rushmore of the Houston Astros

There is no doubt that many great players, past and present, have donned the uniforms of major league baseball franchises. However, each franchise has a few select players above everyone else. The Houston Astros are no different. 

The Houston Astros have been in existence for over 60+ years.  Yet, they have only found championship success in recent years. They won four American League Championships between 2017 and 2022. Within that span, they won the World Series twice.  (2017, 2022)

Although their success has only occurred recently, there is a list of players who have played for the team who deserve to be on the team’s proverbial “Mount Rushmore.”

Those players are Jose Altuve, Nolan Ryan, Jeff Bagwell, and Craig Biggio. It wouldn't be possible if there were a BonusFinder that could compare other great players who have played for this franchise to these guys. We will go over why these four players belong in the Astros’ “Mount Rushmore” in this piece.

Jose Altuve

Out of all the players discussed here, Jose Altuve is the only one whose legacy on the Astros is still being defined. However, more than enough evidence suggests that he is one of the greatest Astros ever. 

Altuve is in his fourteenth season as an Astro, yet he has a ton of accolades. He is a nine-time All-Star, the AL MVP in 2017, and played a pivotal role in both of the franchise’s World Series championships.

In addition, Altuve is a six-time Silver Slugger award winner and a three-time American League batting champion.

The 2017 season may have been the most successful season of Altuve's career. In addition to winning MVP, he won the Babe Ruth Award, the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, and AP Athlete of the Year. There is no question that Altuve will be inducted in Cooperstown one day. 

Nolan Ryan

Nolan Ryan may be one of the greatest pitchers to step foot on the mound. In terms of longevity, he is the best —he played in the major leagues for 27 years!

During that time, he won 324 games as a pitcher. In addition to the Astros, he played for the New York Mets, California Angels, and Texas Rangers. He is the time leader in strikeouts and no-hitters.

Nolan Ryan played nine years for the Houston Astros, finishing with a total record of 106-94 and an ERA of 3.13. He made two All-Star appearances with the Astros (1981, 1985). Nolan Ryan would be inducted into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame. The team retired his #34 jersey. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

Jeff Bagwell 

Jeff Bagwell spent his entire 15-year career (1991-2005) with the Houston Astros. He immediately impacted the club, being named National League Rookie of the Year in 1991 and NL MVP three years later. 

Bagwell made four All-Star appearances in his career.

Bagwell was a significant threat as a power hitter with an excellent batting average. He had six seasons in which he batted over .300. During his MVP season, he batted .368! Bagwell had nine 30+ HR seasons and three 40+ HR seasons. Bagwell was inducted into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame and elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017. 

Craig Biggio

Like Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio spent his entire career with the Astros.  His career lasted twenty years. (1988-2007)

He was a 7-time All-Star and 4-time Gold Glove Winner. He also had over 3,000 hits during his career. Biggio holds franchise records in several categories, including career games, hits, runs scored, doubles, stolen bases, and walks. Biggio is among a handful of players with over 250 home runs and 400 stolen bases.

Craig Biggio received the Roberto Clemente Award in 2007. The Astros retired Biggio's number 7 and selected him to the Houston Astros Hall of Fame. Biggio was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.

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