Astros inadvertently cost themselves dearly with misplaced faith in Mauricio Dubón

The Houston Astros took a big risk trying to transform Jose Altuve into an outfielder this spring, but Mauricio Dubón's presence on the roster made the decision easier. In addition to being a capable infielder, Dubón was a player the Astros wanted to give more playing time to because of his ability to put the ball in play.

This decision came with a cost, however. Dubón's move to the infield meant he'd be less available to utilize his defensive versatility, and in turn, put more pressure on the rest of the roster to perform (especially the outfield).

Unfortunately, a different, and perhaps bigger problem has arisen at the start of the 2025 season. While Dubón's defensive metrics remain unchanged, his normally reliable performance at the plate has completely cratered.

Mauricio Dubon's early-season struggles for the Astros may be more than just a slump

Though Dubón may be good at putting the ball in play, how much can his bat really be relied upon this season? The contact skills are solid, but Dubón doesn't draw many walks, nor does he steal many bases. Dubón also doesn't hit for much power. Did the Astros really think this through? Given Dubón's hitting profile, a lot has to go right in order for him to impact the game offensively.

That luck has not been there for Dubón in 2025. His current .179/.258/.250 slash line is ugly, and a look at his advanced metrics shows a player with bottom-of-the-scale exit velocity, hart hit rate, and barrel rate, and his bat speed isn't much better. Dubón's track record suggests he won't stay this ice-cold at the dish, but his numbers also reveal his improvements are likely to be minimal.

Dubón's defense will keep him employed for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, including Dubón in the everyday lineup is becoming difficult given the Astros' offensive struggles. Fans fear the Astros' lineup deficiencies will be even more pronounced once Jake Meyers, who's off to an unexplainable hot-start, inevitably turns back into a pumpkin.

In short, Dubón is a great player to have on a good team, and fills the role of a reliable super utility man who can chip in on both sides of the ball. As the Astros are finding out right now, however, relying on him to be more than that may have been a bit much to hope for.

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