Astros: Alex Bregman gained a ton of offseason weight with revenge on his mind

After a rough 2020 season, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman has added some bulk with revenge on his mind.

The residue of a sign-stealing scandal followed the Houston Astros into the 2020 season, as some players embraced a heel turn. They made the playoffs and reached the ALCS thanks to the expanded postseason. But third baseman Alex Bregman had a dismal campaign (.242, .801 OPS, six home runs, 22 RBI in 42 games).

A hamstring issue that cost him about three weeks wasn’t helpful. Outside of the ALDS against Oakland (6-for-15), he wasn’t an impact player in the postseason.

It goes without saying that Bregman, a two-time All-Star who also finished top-5 in MVP voting in both 2018 and 2019, would be motivated to work harder this offseason. But it’s not even report date for spring training around baseball, and we’ve got some proverbial “best shape of my life” news.

Alex Bregman added significant weight this offseason

According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Bregman added 27 pounds of muscle this offseason. He says he’s at 207 pounds now, which is about the weight he played at in 2018 and 2019. He thinks the added muscle will help his hitting mechanics.

“Just got in the gym and got after it,” Bregman said. “Definitely last year left a sour taste in my mouth and I’m going to get after it and get ready to go.

“Last year, I wasn’t able to hold a single position,” he said. “I was really spinning off the ball. Mechanically, I was horrible. I’m looking forward to getting back to being myself.”

Bregman is hardly alone in struggling to get on track during the shortened 2020 season. The loss of George Springer in free agency leaves a big void in the Astros, so they’re banking on a rebound from the remaining core players. With Bregman adding some weight, he seems prepared to carry that burden.