How Astros Slugger Turned Into Most Important Playoff Performer

The Houston Astros have advanced to their seventh straight ALCS round of the MLB Playoffs after defeating the Minnesota Twins in four games. But there's a chance they wouldn't have gotten there if their slugger didn't turn his season around.

The Houston Astros are heading back to the American League Championship Series after defeating the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

It's a round they've gotten familiar with as they made the ALCS for the seventh year in a row.

The journey getting there wasn't easy and it might not have happened if it wasn't for one of their sluggers.

The Astros gave first baseman Jose Abreu a three-year, $58.5 million contract in the offseason to replace Yuli Gurriel.

Abreu was viewed as an upgrade at the plate and would bring the same level of high-end defense that Gurriel did.

But the slugger struggled to begin the season, recording his career worst hitting numbers.

Fans were already calling him a flop and his late season injuries forced the front office and coaching staff into making roster moves.

Those struggles are now an afterthought as Abreu was in the clubhouse celebrating advancing in the playoffs after hitting .313/.353/.875 with three home runs and eight RBI during the ALDS series.

All three of his home runs came on the road. Two were in Game 2 and his two-run shot in Game 3 provided the go-ahead runs that Houston needed to secure their victory.

This was the production that the Astros were looking for when they signed him.

So, how did he turn it around?

Manager Dusty Baker said it was his personality.

"He's a guy that's very even-tempered. When he was going poorly, he told me, 'It's OK, it's OK.' Then when he was going great, he was like, 'It's OK, it's OK,'" he told Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

Abreu is the most important bat in the lineup for Houston.

Yes, they're led by their four stars Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez, but they also needed another power bat in the lineup who could drive in runs.

It didn't seem like the slugger could fit that role for this team.

Until he came through when it mattered most.

"The most important thing is that I have family that supports me. I have two kids that love me. My mom has always been there, my wife … God bless. Obviously, I had an organization that's always been there for me, and my teammates, independently of the moment, have always supported me. So what else can I ask for?" Abreu said, describing his mentality when struggling.

Now, the player who was viewed as a negative is now becoming the most important piece of this team.