MLB podcaster flummoxed by growing disdain for Houston Astros star Jose Altuve

Houston Astros star Jose Altuve has always been haunted by the team's sign-stealing scandal in 2017. Altuve has always denied the allegations, saying he never used a buzzer to warn teammates about pitches. However, that hasn't stopped fans from taking digs at him every chance they get.

One person who supports Altuve, though, is Barstool Sports' Jared Carrabis. In a recent tweet, Carrabis said he was surprised by the hate for Altuve, who he feels is "one of the nicest players in the game."

"The Jose Altuve hate still blows my mind. Dude’s one of the nicest players in the game, one of the most improbable success stories in the sport, and it was proven that he didn’t use the sign stealing system. Let my guy live." - Jared Carrabis

Carrabis' tweet received mixed responses. While the majority of his followers praised him for his stance, there were others who stood by their initial opinion of Altuve.

One user commented:

"The walk off against the Yankees, you’ll never convince me he wasn’t wearing a buzzer."

Another commented:

"Love Altuve. He always takes time to sign for fans and take pictures."

The Houston Astros won the World Series in 2022, but Altuve and the other surviving players are still embroiled in the fallout from the 2017 cheating incident.

Altuve's innocence in the cheating controversy was proven by Andy Martino, the author of "Cheated: The Inside Story of the Astros Scandal and a Colorful History of Sign Stealing," which had public statements from a number of Astros players.

Jose Altuve's MLB career

Jose Altuve was born in Venezuela on May 6, 1990. Altuve joined the Astros in 2007 as an amateur free agent, and in 2011 made his major league debut.

In 2014, he became the first player in over 80 years to reach 130 hits and 40 stolen bases before the All-Star Game.

He is an eight-time All-Star, a two-time World Series champion, and was named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year in 2017 for the AL.