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The Houston Astros, who finished last in the American League West earlier this season, appear to be on the verge of completing their comeback with 16 games remaining in the regular season.

With just a few games left, the Astros have a commanding 4.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners for second place in the division. Barring a catastrophic collapse, they will almost certainly win the division and earn a postseason berth.

When Houston joins, they will be a formidable opponent.
Their roster and pitching staff may not resemble the behemoths of yesteryear, but they still contain star players capable of sweeping any opponent they face in a series.

But before the playoffs start, the Astros still need to figure out a few things internally.

There is still no one to fill the void left by Jose Abreu, who sorely failed to the point where the team decided it was better to let him go.

Houston has experimented with a number of different approaches, including bringing in a slew of new players in the hopes that one could become the go-to guy.
As we approach into the fall, Jon Singleton appears to be the frontrunner to replace him.

“He has had a tremendous impact. He has achieved notable success. In addition to finding the barrel and walking, he gives you solid at-bats. “I’ve thrown a few guys out there and everyone finds a way to contribute and Jon has done a really, really good job,” manager Joe Espada said, as reported by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

When the Astros acquired Singleton in 2011 for Hunter Pence, he was the most valuable piece of the trade, and he quickly became the team’s best minor leaguer.

He appeared to have all the makings of a franchise player in 2012 and 2013, when he was ranked first in their farm system.

Despite serving a 50-game suspension for a second failed marijuana test in the offseason of 2013, the Houston Rockets gave him a groundbreaking five-year deal that guaranteed him $10 million with a maximum value of $35 million.

Despite making his Major League debut in 2014, Singleton had a disastrous season, going.168/.285/.335 with 13 home runs and 44 RBI in 95 games. He didn’t play a game for the Astros again after being demoted to Triple-A the following season due to his continued struggles.

He took a break to play in Mexico before returning to Major League Baseball in 2022 with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2023, he was called up for the first time in eight years, marking his return to a major league field.

With a slash line of.239/.322/.393, 13 home runs, and 48 RBI this year, Singleton is putting himself in the running to be Houston’s daily first baseman when a championship is on the line. He reconnected with the Astros that same season after electing free agency.

Even though his bWAR is recorded at -1.2, defense might be the key factor in that.

I keep getting Yuli Gurriel vibes from him. If you just toss it over there, he’ll catch you, in my opinion. The luggage is seldom far from him… Having a first baseman who can pick the ball up is something you’re always grateful for, as shortstop Jeremy Pena put it.

Any way you slice it, Singleton’s comeback is an unbelievable baseball tale, and it will be fascinating to watch Espada’s final decision on first base.