The Astros need Mauricio Dubón now more than ever after tumultuous offseason

The offseason changes have now come to an end for the Houston Astros. With all eyes turning toward getting ready in preparation ahead of the 2025 MLB season, Mauricio Dubón needs to step up his game even more.

In three seasons with Houston, Dubón has a .262 batting average and a .294 on-base percentage.
Dubón hit .269 last season with four home runs and 47 RBIs. What's even more impressive about his 2024 season is that Dubón was playing through pain. A lot of it, in fact.

After the Astros lost to the Detroit Tigers in postseason play, reports came out that Dubón played through the season's final month with a torn ligament in his left thumb. That required surgery, which he's now recovered from and taking grounders with his fellow infielders at spring training.

He has spent time at shortstop and second base while also finding time to play in the outfield when needed. Dubón stepped up big time in 2023, winning a Gold Glove Award for his defensive efforts. Dubón ended up playing five different positions that season, deftly handling play at second base in relief for some time for the then-injured Jose Altuve.

Mauricio Dubón has become quite a fan favorite among Houston Astros fans when he takes the field or comes to the plate

Astros fans love to see Dubón playing, voicing their "Dooby!" chants whenever he gets to the plate. Probably as Dubón gets set for the season down in West Palm Beach, he's looking around at a different looking team. Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman are gone and so are their steadying defensive efforts. Of course, not to mention their offensive statistics.

Dubón must take a big step up this season. He's been with the team now for a bit. Dubon might even be seen as a veteran among his fellow Astros. Not in the same stratosphere as Altuve, but a leader nonetheless. Any talk about a lack of toughness from Dubón can be quickly dismissed. Any player who gets out there with a busted thumb and busts his butt like he did last September gets all the respect in the world.

It didn't hurt him that during the offseason, Dubón became a father. Last August, he and his wife, Nancy, announced on Instagram that they were expecting their first child. He said as he arrived in West Palm Beach that they had a baby boy.

As Opening Day draws even closer, keep an eye on what Dubón is doing in Grapefruit League play. He's another Astros player who could really use a fast start out of the gate. Dubón gets to show off his spring training efforts, along with his teammates, when the 2025 season starts up at Daikin Park against the New York Mets on March 27.

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