Bregman primed for breakout in potential last year in Houston

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- While second baseman Jose Altuve recently signed a contract extension that will make him an Astro for life, teammate Alex Bregman reported to camp on a rainy Sunday morning unsure of what his future will hold after the season.

Bregman, who is set to be a free agent this coming offseason, said the Astros had not yet made him an offer, though general manager Dana Brown said earlier this month the club planned to do so. Bregman said he’s not focusing on his contract and is letting agent Scott Boras and the Astros handle it so he can be fully focused on baseball and winning.

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“I absolutely love every single second here,” he said. “Being able to put on this jersey is an absolute honor and a dream come true for me as a kid. When it comes to the contract, I just let Scott do that.”

Bregman, who turns 30 next month, said he reported to camp in the proverbial “best shape of my life” after changing his workout routine this winter. He spent the winter in Phoenix hitting and working out at Exos gym with a group of big leaguers that included Matt Chapman and Xander Bogaerts. The result? He says his body is in incredible shape and his swing feels better than ever.

Astros hitting coach Troy Snitker also came to Arizona for a bit to help Bregman.

“Kind of went over and said, ‘Hey, you guys are incredible at what you do and just want to learn from you guys,’ and kind of gave them the reins and said, ‘Steer me in the right direction,’” Bregman said. “I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by great players over there, too. Bogaerts and Chapman were training there at the same time. We were able to work out together, talk baseball together. It was a ton of fun and I feel like I’ve never been in better shape in my life.”

Bregman has put together back-to-back solid seasons after battling injuries the two years before that. Last year, he played in 161 games, slashing .262/.363/.441 with 25 homers, 98 RBIs, 103 runs scored and 92 walks for a 122 OPS+ while also being named a Gold Glove finalist at third base.

Still, Bregman would like to drive the ball better with hopes of approaching the power output he had in 2018 and 2019, years in which he finished in the top five in AL MVP balloting. His best year came in ’19, when he posted a 1.015 OPS with 41 homers, 112 RBIs, 122 runs and 119 walks -- all of which remain his career highs.

“We’ve been working on the same things and I feel like we are in a 10 times better spot then we ever were then in the second half [of last year],” he said. “It’s just how I’m moving. We found what was good, what kind of drills we needed to do and I expect to have the best season I’ve ever had.”

Much of Bregman’s work this winter on his swing focused on his midsection, which he says is moving better and putting him in better position at contact.

“I feel like when you play this game for a long time sometimes you don’t really know what you’re doing or why you’re doing it and why it’s working,” he said. “You think it’s one thing, but it’s actually something else. It’s been great to be able to learn from a bunch of people that really know the body and know the swing. We all sat down and talked hitting for hours over the last six months. Kind of figuring out what I was doing well and what I didn’t know I was doing early in my career and getting back to moving that way.”

Bregman, right fielder Kyle Tucker, shortstop Jeremy Peña and first baseman José Abreu were among the position players to report Sunday to CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in advance of Monday’s first full-squad workout. Bregman and Altuve are the only remaining position players who have been a part of both of Houston’s World Series championship teams.

Bregman’s future remains in limbo, but he said he’s thrilled Altuve will be in Houston through at least 2029.

“I think we all know there’s going to be a statue outside Minute Maid Park when he’s done,” he said.