Astros' Martin Maldonado shatters comparisons between Jose Altuve and Marcus Semien: "Altuve is an MVP, I’d take him all day"

Jose Altuve and Marcus Semien will be the leadoff hitters for their respective teams when they square off in the American League Championship Series. The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers' second basemen will be key to their team's success.

This has prompted comparisons between the two players in the world of baseball. Often the matchups between the starting pitchers are noted to be of significance. However, with the Astros and the Rangers, the competition between their leadoff hitters seems to be fierce.

Jose Altuve has been the rare constant figure in the Astros' seven consecutive ALCS appearances. The veteran missed almost half of the ongoing season due to injuries. Yet he managed a .915 OPS that ranked as the sixth-best in the league with a minimum of 400 appearances.

As for Marcus Semien, the Rangers infielder has redefined the terms reliability and durability. Over the last two seasons, Semien has missed just one game for the Rangers. This season, his WAR has been exemplary, second-best in the AL after Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani.

Thus both players have a knack for getting to base and giving their teams a good start. However, Altuve's teammate Martin Maldonado feels that the comparison is baseless. Both players are unique in their own ways but for him, the first at-bat for Houston stands out.

“You cannot compare him to Marcus Semien,” Maldonado said (via MLB.com). “They’re two different hitters. Altuve is an MVP. I’d take Altuve all day."

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Jose Altuve and Marcus Semien's 2023 season while facing each other

The Rangers and Astros were locked and loaded in competition for the AL West throughout the season. Texas led the division for most of the season before the Astros took the division for another year.

Not just the teams but even Jose Altuve and Marcus Semien had strong outings against each other. The former has hit seven of his 17 homers against Semien's side. The latter, meanwhile, has slashed .431/.509/.706 in 13 games against the defending champions.