HOUSTON -- Jose Altuve led the Houston Astros to their first World Series title with a victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in November, then picked up the franchise's first MVP trophy in more than two decades a couple of weeks later.
And as his huge 2017 is coming to a close, the diminutive second baseman already is looking for more.
"Winning the World Series, winning the MVP, you feel like you have everything," Altuve said. "But my perspective is to try and get better every year and if we win one World Series, why not win another one? Just keep playing for the team and keep playing for my city."
Altuve, who was one of only a handful of players who endured the Astros' painful rebuilding process en route to this year's championship, was chosen as The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.
Results of voting by U.S. editors and news directors were announced Wednesday. The 5-6 dynamo got 715 points, beating out New England quarterback Tom Brady, who had 646, and third-place finisher and Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, with 626.
Altuve is a five-time All-Star who led the majors with a career-high .346 batting average, and his 204 hits topped the American League. He is the first player in MLB history to lead his league in hits in four consecutive seasons. He tied a career-best with 24 home runs and had 81 RBI. He was second in the AL by scoring 112 runs, his on-base percentage of .410 ranked third, he was third with 32 steals, and his .547 slugging percentage ranked sixth.
The only other Astro to win an MVP was Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell, who picked up the National League's honors in 1994.
Altuve carried his stellar regular season into the postseason, where he paced the Astros in their Division Series victory over the Boston Red Sox by hitting .533 with a 1.133 slugging percentage.
Altuve spent his early years with the Astros toiling in relative obscurity as Houston lost 100-plus games in each of his first three major league seasons from 2011-2013. There was no denying his superstar status this season as the Astros won 101 games, and he became one of the best stories early in the postseason when he hit three home runs in their Game 1 victory over Boston.
As one of the smallest players in the majors, Altuve certainly isn't known as a slugger, but that performance made him just the 10th player in major league history and first since 2012 to hit three home runs in a playoff game.
Altuve's story of once being sent home from a tryout because he was too short has been well documented as he has risen to fame. But on the day his huge game led the Astros to that playoff victory, he summed up the mindset he's carried since that setback.
"As soon as I cross the white line, I feel the same size as everyone else," he said.
His teammates marvel at the fact that no matter how good he is, he's always looking to do better.
"He has four hits and he's like, 'Carlos, I never had a five-hit game before, let me try to get the fifth hit,' " shortstop Carlos Correa said. "He's always striving for more. And that's what I've learned from him that makes me better every single day."
Altuve, who grew up in Venezuela, considers Houston his second home after spending his entire professional career with the Astros. He took great pride in wearing the Houston Strong patch on his uniform throughout the playoffs as a reminder of what the city went through during Hurricane Harvey and how difficult the rebuilding process would be.
He said people approach him often to say thank you for helping the Astros win their first title and for being a bright spot in such a terrible time.
"We had the responsibility of making it happen for the city," the 27-year-old said. "We wanted to win the World Series for the city. We just wanted to try to see a smile from them."
Since winning the World Series, Altuve has been welcomed to Disney World by Mickey Mouse, been a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and been named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year along with Texans star J.J. Watt.
"I don't think I'm the face of the city or the Houston Astros," he said. "I'm just another guy who is playing hard to make dreams come true."
Associated Press male athletes of the year
1931 Pepper Martin, baseball
1932 Gene Sarazen, golf
1933 Carl Hubbell, baseball
1934 Dizzy Dean, baseball
1935 Joe Louis, boxing
1936 Jesse Owens, track and field
1937 Don Budge, tennis
1938 Don Budge, tennis
1939 Nile Kinnick, college football
1940 Tom Harmon, college football
1941 Joe DiMaggio, baseball
1942 Frank Sinkwich, college football
1943 Sweden Gunder Hägg, track and field
1944 Byron Nelson, golf
1945 Byron Nelson, golf
1946 Glenn Davis, college football
1947 Johnny Lujack, college football
1948 Lou Boudreau, baseball
1949 Leon Hart, college football
1950 Jim Konstanty, baseball
1951 Dick Kazmaier, college football
1952 Bob Mathias, track and field
1953 Ben Hogan, golf
1954 Willie Mays, baseball
1955 Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, college football
1956 Mickey Mantle, baseball
1957 Ted Williams, baseball
1958 Australia Herb Elliott, track and field
1959 Sweden Ingemar Johansson, boxing
1960 Rafer Johnson, track and field
1961 Roger Maris, baseball
1962 Maury Wills, baseball
1963 Sandy Koufax, baseball
1964 Don Schollander, swimming
1965 Sandy Koufax, baseball
1966 Frank Robinson, baseball
1967 Carl Yastrzemski, baseball
1968 Denny McLain, baseball
1969 Tom Seaver, baseball
1970 George Blanda, football
1971 Lee Trevino, golf
1972 Mark Spitz, swimming
1973 O.J. Simpson, football
1974 Muhammad Ali, boxing
1975 Fred Lynn, baseball
1976 Bruce Jenner, track and field
1977 Steve Cauthen, horse racing
1978 Ron Guidry, baseball
1979 Willie Stargell, baseball
1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team
1981 John McEnroe, tennis
1982 Wayne Gretzky, hockey
1983 Carl Lewis, track and field
1984 Carl Lewis, track and field
1985 Dwight Gooden, baseball
1986 Larry Bird, basketball
1987 Ben Johnson, track and field
1988 Orel Hershiser, baseball
1989 Joe Montana, football
1990 Joe Montana, football
1991 Michael Jordan, basketball
1992 Michael Jordan, basketball
1993 Michael Jordan, basketball
1994 George Foreman, boxing
1995 Cal Ripken, Jr., baseball
1996 Michael Johnson, track and field
1997 Tiger Woods, golf
1998 Mark McGwire, baseball
1999 Tiger Woods, golf
2000 Tiger Woods, golf
2001 Barry Bonds, baseball
2002 Lance Armstrong, cycling
2003 Lance Armstrong, cycling
2004 Lance Armstrong, cycling
2005 Lance Armstrong, cycling
2006 Tiger Woods, golf
2007 Tom Brady, football
2008 Michael Phelps, swimming
2009 Jimmie Johnson, motor sports
2010 Drew Brees, football
2011 Aaron Rodgers, football
2012 Michael Phelps, swimming
2013 LeBron James, basketball
2014 Madison Bumgarner, baseball
2015 Stephen Curry, basketball
2016 LeBron James, basketball
2017 José Altuve, baseball
Sports on 12/28/2017