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On Sunday, the Houston Astros had a really fun moment when Mauricio Dubón had a walk-off hit against the Minnesota Twins. It was the culmination of a strong run of play from the Astros that has allowed Houston solidify the top spot in the AL West. However, it's also had the (un)fortunate effect of masking just how rough Dubón's season has been.
Dubón was severely underrated the past two seasons, both for his defensive versatility and production at the plate. From 2023-2024, he averaged a .274/.303/.388 line while playing every position in the field other than catcher. Yes, he's never possessed an impact bat, but held his own and contributed offensively while letting his defensively versatility provide the bulk of his value.
Unfortunately, the 2025 season has seen his bat regress to the point where Dubón's long-term future with the Astros should be in question.
Mauricio Dubón's offensive regression raises questions about his value on the Astros roster
No one realistically though Dubón was going to be batting cleanup in Houston's lineup at any point this season. If the veteran provides a .270 batting average and runs into one on occasion, the Astros would happily take that from a player who is as valuable defensively as Dubón is.
The defense has stuck around in 2025. Dubón's seven Outs Above Average (OAA) as of Tuesday ranks in the 97% percentile in all of baseball, and he has continued to bounce all over the diamond. The bulk of his playing time has been at second base after the Astros moved Jose Altuve to the outfield, but the versatility has remained Dubón's bigbest selling point.
But Dubón's bat has been markedly worse. After averaging a passable .691 OPS the last two seasons, Dubón's OPS has dipped to .582 this season. Being a below-average hitter is one thing, but being the worst version of Jake Meyers at the plate is another one entirely.
We are already seeing some impacts on the Astros' plans this season. Houston has been forced to move Altuve back to second base in order to field a quality lineup at times. One hopes either Dubón turns things around or the Astros make a change before it costs them anything else.