Once mocked by fans, this Astros reliever just silenced everyone who doubted him

The state of their bullpen has been one of the biggest questions facing the Houston Astros after the trade deadline, and it hasn't been helped by the fact that Josh Hader is out for the rest of the season. One of the names the Astros turned to was Enyel De Los Santos. While many Astros fans questioned the move when it was first made, De Los Santos has proved to be an unsung hero for the bullpen.

Before the move to the Astros, De Los Santos struggled his way through 43 plate appearances with the Atlanta Braves to start the season. De Los Santos had an ERA of 4.53 during his time in Atlanta, striking out just over 20 percent of the hitters he faced and walking nearly 10 percent.

Since his arrival in Houston's bullpen, De Los Santos has flipped the script. Through his first 12 appearances with the Houstons, the 29-year-old righty has an ERA of 0.69 while striking out 27 percent of the hitters he is facing and walking under 7%.

Astros may have just found a playoff weapon nobody saw coming

It seems that the Astros have worked their pitching voodoo magic once again. In recent years, the Astros' pitching infrastructure has made a habit of turning another team's trash into a hidden gem. The timing could not have been better. Kaleb Ort and Bennett Sousa have been ruled out for the rest of the season, and with Hader's return likely not arriving until the middle of October, De Los Santos has emerged as a high-leverage arm in the bullpen for the playoffs.

It's not just De Los Santos that turned into a late-season success story for the Astros, either. The signing of Craig Kimbrel last month was also mocked, but it seems to have been a move that saved the bullpen. Kimbrel has yet to allow a run in his first seven appearances with the Astros, and is striking out over 33 percent of the hitters he has faced.

With the playoffs in sight, the construction of the Astros' bullpen isn't quite what the front office envisioned on Opening Day, but a pair of rejected veterans are proving to be the answer.

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