Could Jose Abreu’s offseason workout adjustment help him regain form with Astros?

No one is arguing that Jose Abreu's first season with the Houston Astros went well. After signing a three year, $58.5 million deal before the 2023 season, the team expected him to be a consistent power threat in the middle of their lineup like he was with the White Sox. Instead, Abreu gave them a season that was anything but that.

Over 594 plate appearances last season, Abreu slashed .237/.296/.383 with 18 homers. Altogether, that added up to a career-worst (by a wide margin) 86 wRC+ at the plate. Of course, a big part of the issue was that Abreu dealt with back issues basically all season long, and even now the team is making plans to give Abreu regular time off to manage his health.

Still, the best outcome for Abreu and the Astros is that he can get himself healthy enough not to need constant managing of his playing time and be able to produce the way he used to in Chicago. After all, he showed glimpses of still being able to do in the postseason last year.

Abreu committed himself to finding a path forward this offseason and may have found an unlikely solution when he decided to take up Pilates this offseason.

Could Astros' Jose Abreu's new Pilates regimen get him back on track?

Now, it's far from new for an athlete to focus on mobility exercises and static muscle training. Various exercises and stretches that have been borrowed from yoga, Pilates, and any number of other training disciplines are commonplace in workout routines across different sports. However, what is somewhat unique is just how all-in Abreu seems to be on Pilates.

During the offseason, Abreu was doing Pilates three times a week after his agent suggested it as a way to stay in shape and manage his body going into the 2024 season. Time will tell if it will actually pay off, but Abreu was glowing in his review of his new workout regimen and seems like he's recommending Pilates to anyone that will listen.

There's no denying Abreu has the talent to be an impact player for the Astros. We saw what he can do during the Astros' run to the ALCS last year. His back issues have been most unfortunate, but if Pilates can keep him on the field and give him the confidence to test his body when needed, he'll be unlocked for far longer than just a few postseason series.

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