Jose Abreu has his fanbase buzzing after moonshot pads Astros' Game 3 lead over Twins - "He's so back"

When former AL MVP Jose Abreu inked a three-year, $58.5 million deal to come to the Houston Astros, fans were excited. Unfortunately, it took the Cuban emigre a little longer to heat up than many expected.

Despite being regarded as one of the best hitters in the league, Abreu struggled with the Astros in the early goings of the season. Abreu hit just .206 in April and May, with his first home run not coming until the middle of June.

But the 36-year old helped fans to forget their past issues with him on Tuesday. In the second inning of Game 3 of the ALDS against the Minnesota Twins, Abreu took starter Sonny Gray 442 feet to left field for a three-run shot. Abreu's first postseason homer since 2020 put the Astros up 4-0 with just one out in the first.

"Cloudy with a chance of meatballs" - Houston Astros

While fans were not shy to voice their frustration about Abreu's early-season performance, his moonshot at a critical postseason point seems to have smoothed their concerns.

A long time member of the Chicago White Sox, Abreu hit .317/.370/.617 with 19 home runs and an AL-best 60 RBIs to win the MVP Award in the shortened 2020 season. He also won the 2014 AL Rookie of the Year Award and three All-Star nods during his time on the Southside.

After winning the first game of the ALDS at home, the Houston Astros dropped the second match of the series by a score of 6-2. Despite winning their division, the AL West, for the seventh straight season, some fans began to doubt their team's longevity.

Despite the below-average start to the year, Jose Abreu was able to rectify his hitting. In 141 games, Abreu hit .237/.296/.383 with 18 home runs and 90 RBIs. Needless to say, Astros fans are feeling far more secure about his future in Houston.

Jose Abreu may be aging, but he is still a stud

In 2014, just months after defecting from his communist homeland of Cuba, Abreu launched 25 home runs in 67 games in 2014 for the Chicago White Sox. The outstanding performance dubbed Abreu the fastest player ever to hit the 25-jack milestone. Despite some rather severe streakiness this year, Jose Abreu remains a powerhitting part of the Astros lineup that they are undoubtedly happy to have. Now, after a pivotal and early home run, it appears as though Abreu's much-maligned contract may have been worthwhile after all.