Jose Abreu Demotion Already Paying Off For Houston Astros

Jose Abreu's replacement has been a massive upgrade for the Houston Astros at first base.

May 5, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros first baseman Jon Singleton (28) is congratulated at home plate. / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

It's been less than two weeks since the Houston Astros mercifully demoted struggling first baseman Jose Abreu to the minor leagues, and the move is already paying major dividends.

At the time he was sent down, Abreu was batting an anemic .099/.156/.113 with no homers, three RBIs and considerably more strikeouts (18) than hits (seven), enduring one of the worst offensive starts in MLB history. In just 22 games, he managed to be worth -1.5 WAR, making him a main culprit for the Astros' horrendous start.

Replacing Abreu with literally anyone else should have yielded better results, and sure enough, that's exactly what's happened.

In the midst of a near catastrophic season for the Astros (compared to what we are used to) this is such a terrific story.

Great example of perseverance.

Since Abreu reassignment, Singleton has 4 HR. Astros have won 3 of those games. #Relentlesspic.twitter.com/AuF9JeCLEw

— RobnCypress (@robncypress) May 10, 2024

Houston gave Abreu's job to 32-year-old Jon Singleton, who the team essentially signed off the scrap heap last year. Originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009, Singleton had been in the Astros' system from 2011 to 2017, appearing in the majors in 2014 and 2015. He did not return to the big leagues until 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers, however, after spending extensive time in the Mexican League and minor leagues.

When the Brewers released Singleton last June, Houston quickly snatched him up. Less than a year later, he's the team's starting first baseman.

Now 32, Singleton is making the most of the opportunity. In nine games since Abreu's demotion, Singleton is batting .241 with four home runs, 10 RBIs, seven runs, five walks and a .655 SLG, contributing more in a week than Abreu did in a month. What's more, three of Singleton's bombs have helped the Astros win games, including Thursday's 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He's been one of the team's few bright spots this year.

It's been a wild ride for Singleton, and who knows if his production is sustainable. In the meantime, Houston will take whatever it can get from him.