Improvements at plate, on defense add to Dubón's postseason value

HOUSTON -- Mauricio Dubón credits a lot of his growth as a hitter to learning from and chatting with two of the best in the game: Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez.

One particular talk with Altuve in July -- Dubón’s worst month of the season -- helped him turn things around at the plate.

“I think everything changed [when] we had this talk with Jose in Oakland,” Dubón said. “We tried to slug a little bit more, and that’s when I hit the home run. I was not having a good series, so we just had a talk, and I think that’s when everything changed.”

That ninth-inning go-ahead home run on July 23 may have done more than change the course of one series.

Dubón picked up the pace after that, recording an .883 OPS in August and September to put the finishing touches on a breakout 2023 campaign in which he set career highs in almost every offensive stat.

Add in his ability to play multiple positions defensively, and Dubón’s emergence could prove key for the Astros in the postseason, beginning with the American League Division Series against the Twins, which starts on Saturday with Game 1 in Houston.

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As the club manages lingering injuries to Alvarez (right elbow) and Michael Brantley (right shoulder), Dubón is manager Dusty Baker’s go-to option in center field whenever player availability dictates it. After filling in at second base for Altuve, who missed the first 44 games of the regular season with a fractured right thumb, Dubón earned his spot in center in the second half of the season -- with Baker opting to move Chas McCormick to left down the stretch.

The result has been Dubón’s best season in the outfield, with four Outs Above Average and two Defensive Runs Saved over 40 games.

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“I think it’s the experience and going out there more frequently than every 10 days,” Dubón said. “You have an idea of what you’re doing over there.”

On Friday, soon after Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and bench coach Jayce Tingler had a soccer workout in left field at Minute Maid Park, Baker complimented Dubón -- who played soccer in high school.

“I like players that play multiple sports, especially soccer players, because they know where their feet are,” Baker said. “That might sound corny, but some people have two left feet.”

During the Astros’ 2022 World Series run, Dubón filled in as a defensive replacement in six games. But he’s still looking for his first playoff at-bat. His improvement as a hitter will give him that first plate appearance this postseason. Known for his bat-to-ball skills and contact approach, Dubón became a fan favorite while playing every day at second base during Altuve’s absence.

At the start of the season, Alvarez pointed out that Dubón’s bat head was dropping during his swing. The adjustment helped him record a 20-game hitting streak from April 2-26, tied for the second longest in the Majors this season.

But in the midst of a frustrating July (.501 OPS) and a self-proclaimed “horrible series” in Oakland, Dubón discussed changing his approach at the plate with Altuve.

Dubón, who swings at a ton of pitches (seventh-most in the Majors), decided to shift slightly from hitting for contact to doing more damage. He posted a .520 slugging percentage the rest of the way.

“I stopped chasing hits,” Dubón said. “It was, for me, about seeing a pitch where you can actually do some damage. I was OK going back to the guys after striking out looking -- I’m not going to strike out a lot, I’m a guy that is going to put the ball in play. But, you know, trying to get my pitch and do damage.

“ ... People say April was my best month, just because I had the hitting streak, but coming in this September and August, my OPS is over .900. Obviously, it has a big impact. I slug more. I get on base more. So, going forward in my career, that’s going to be a big priority.”