Jose Abreu is making his debut with the Houston Astros Thursday night as the defending World Series champions open the 2023 season with a home game against the Chicago White Sox.
Abreu was the long-time first baseman for the White Sox. He signed a free-agent contract with the Astros in the offseason, and his new team placed him in the clean-up spot. Before the game, Abreu learned that Chicago general manager Rick Hahn compared the uniform change of Chicago to Houston to that of Michael Jordan.
Hahn compared Abreu's departure to that of Jordan leaving the Chicago Bulls and moving on to the Washington Wizards. To basketball fans — especially those in Chicago — Jordan in a Wizards uniform looked wrong. Hahn's comparison drew chortles of laughter from Abreu. He has never been known for his sense of humor or telling a lot of jokes in the locker room.
However, Abreu certainly knows the status Jordan has in the sporting world. The idea of being compared to Jordan is something that tickled the 36-year-old first baseman.
Abreu played with the White Sox for 9 seasons, playing his first year on Chicago's South Side in 2014. The native of Cuba won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2o14. He followed up by winning the Most Valuable Player honor in 2020.
Jose Abreu is known for his ability hit in the clutch and drive in big runs. He has exceeded the 100 RBI mark 6 times in his career, and he had a career high 123 RBI in the 2019 season.