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Postseason home run record: Altuve ends 1 shy of Manny Ramirez

Dustin Judge
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, one shy of the postseason home run record, throws to first against the Athletics in September 2025

Jose Altuve moved within one of the postseason home run record Wednesday, Sept. 30, with his 28th career playoff homer, but the Houston Astros lost 7-3 to the Chicago White Sox at Daikin Park in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series. The loss completed a two-game sweep and ended Houston’s season, MLB.com reported.

Altuve led off the fourth inning by driving a Sean Burke slider into the Crawford Boxes. Statcast projected the solo shot at 353 feet, per MLB.com.

Altuve and the postseason home run record

The homer came in Altuve’s 107th career playoff game. Manny Ramirez holds the postseason home run record with 29. The 36-year-old Altuve sits alone in second and four ahead of Kyle Schwarber’s 24, according to MLB.com. It was his first postseason homer since Game 7 of the 2023 ALCS.

Most of his October power has come deep in the bracket. Of his 28 playoff homers, 12 came in the ALCS, 11 in the ALDS, four in the World Series and now one in the Wild Card Series, per MLB.com. He won World Series titles with Houston in 2017 and 2022.

His signature swing came in Game 6 of the 2019 ALCS, when his walk-off homer at what was then Minute Maid Park sent the Astros past the New York Yankees and into the World Series.

Manny Ramirez, who holds the postseason home run record with 29, at bat in 2008
Manny Ramirez at bat in 2008. Photo: terren in Virginia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

One swing from tying history

One more homer would pull Altuve even with Ramirez for the postseason home run record. He’ll have to wait until next October for that chance after the White Sox swept the Astros. Our Game 2 recap has more on how Chicago closed out the series.

The early exit sends Houston into a pivotal offseason. The Astros parted ways with general manager Dana Brown in August, and owner Jim Crane said decisions on a new GM and on manager Joe Espada’s future would come after the season, MLB.com reported.

Altuve has three years left on his contract, so he should get more cracks at the postseason home run record if the Astros return to October. For more playoff baseball, follow our MLB coverage.

Reporting from MLB.com and the Houston Chronicle contributed to this story.

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.