Baseball

Astros' Mauricio Dubon caps career year with Gold Glove: 'I wouldn’t be here without Him'

By Joshua Doering Nov 7, 2023
Houston Astros outfielder Mauricio Dubon makes a diving catch during the 2023 season. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Mauricio Dubón played every position except pitcher and catcher for the Houston Astros at some point this season. He made 79 appearances at second base — largely as a fill-in when star Jose Altuve was injured — and at least nine regular-season appearances at three other positions as well, including 29 in center field, where he played for eight of Houston’s playoff games.

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Dubón was rewarded for his defensive contributions Sunday with the first Gold Glove of his career. The 29-year-old received the award for the utility position and was a finalist at second base as well.

“I feel very prideful in what I do, my defense,” Dubón said in October after being nominated. “I prepare myself every day to play whatever position I get to play. If I’m not playing, I think that’s the hardest day because I’ve got to prepare for seven positions. So I think that’s the biggest thing for me, just how I try not to make mistakes on defense, but sometimes it’s going to happen.”

In a video posted to the team’s X (formerly Twitter) account, he thanked the coaching staff for guiding and trusting him.

The only player in Major League Baseball history who was born and raised in Honduras, Dubón came to the U.S. when he was 15 to pursue a baseball career. He made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019 and was traded to the San Francisco Giants less than a month later.

The Astros acquired him in an early-season trade in 2022. He collected 41 hits in 83 games as Houston went on to win the World Series.

Dubón had a much bigger role this season, hitting .278 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs in a career-high 132 regular-season games. He went 8-for-26 in the postseason, helping the Astros reach the American League Championship Series for a seventh year in a row. They were eliminated by the eventual world-champion Texas Rangers in seven games.

At the heart of Dubón’s remarkable journey is his faith in God. He has James 4:7 in his bio on X, a verse that reads, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

In September, he joined Sports Spectrum’s “Get in the Game” podcast to talk about growing up in Honduras and his faith journey. Dubón said on the podcast one of the biggest differences he noticed after coming to the U.S. was that he did not worry about his safety when he went to bed.

“I didn’t know what it was to sleep and not be scared somebody is going to break into the house,” he said. “I think that was the most challenging thing ever. When I was sleeping, I was actually relaxed.”

As one of the most prominent Honduran athletes ever, Dubón has a huge platform that he uses to give back to his country and share the Gospel. He encourages people to turn to God for guidance and surrender everything to Him.

“All the problems you have, just talk to Him,” Dubón said on the podcast. “It’s something that is easy to say, and it’s easy for you to go out there and talk to Him. And He’ll provide. … I think that’s the biggest one I try to tell people: Just talk to Him. Talk to Him, trust God, thank God for everything.”

He knows there is no way he would be where he is today without God, and he wants other people to know it as well.

“I try to honor Him every time I get a chance, try to give Him His praise,” Dubón said on the podcast. “There’s a reason why I’m here. There’s a reason why He puts me in this spot. I wouldn’t be here without Him, so I think the most humble thing to do — and the way to honor Him — is try to mention Him every time I get a chance.”

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