On May 1, 2012, Altuve faced New York Mets reliever Jon Rauch, the tallest player in major league history at . The height difference is believed to be the biggest between pitcher and batter with the exception of a 1951 publicity stunt in which a Eddie Gaedel had one plate appearance for the St. Louis Browns. Altuve was the Astros' representative at the All-Star Game, played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. This was his first career selection.