'He's ripped': Singleton arrives to camp ready to compete for roster spot

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The runaway winner in Astros camp for reporting in the proverbial ¡°best shape of my life¡± is first baseman Jon Singleton, who turned heads on the field and had people whispering off the field about his new chiseled physique.

¡°He is ripped,¡± manager Joe Espada said.

¡°He looks like Dwayne Johnson in ¡®Pain and Gain¡¯ right now,¡± utility player Mauricio Dub¨®n said.

Singleton reported to camp looking more like a bouncer you don¡¯t want to cross more than the team¡¯s backup first baseman, which would be his role following the addition of free-agent Christian Walker -- a Gold Glove winner at first base in the National League the past three seasons. Singleton is trying to make the club as a power left-handed bat off the bench.

¡°I¡¯m glad he¡¯s part of our team and will help us win more ballgames,¡± Singleton said of Walker. ¡°The goal is to win the World Series, and if he can help us do that, I¡¯m all for it.¡±

Singleton, 33, spent the entire 2024 season on a Major League roster for the first time in his career and hit .234 with 13 homers, 13 doubles, 42 RBIs, 47 walks and a .707 OPS in a career-high 119 games. He hit .258 against right-handers while starting a team-high 88 games at first base.

¡°Last year was the first year in 10 years where I got considerable playing time,¡± Singleton said. ¡°I was able to understand the speed of Major League baseball now. Going into the offseason, I knew what I needed to work on and what I could do to get better at. And I think I did that. This is definitely going to be a huge year. I¡¯ve prepared well enough and it¡¯s time for the training and all the hard work to take over.¡±

The hard work began last year at his home in California, where Singleton developed a workout regimen that has served him well. He worked out for about three or four hours each day, which included weightlifting and multiple sauna sessions, as well as taking ground balls and hitting. He did that five days a week.

¡°I¡¯ve [reshaped] my body and I¡¯ve also lost weight,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve lost about 25 pounds. I followed a serious weight-lifting program. I¡¯m stronger than I¡¯ve ever been. A lot has changed.¡±

His teammates noticed.

¡°He works hard in the gym, man,¡± Jose Altuve said. ¡°I saw him lifting some weights the other day and it was impressive. He looks amazing.¡±

Singleton said the numbers he¡¯s putting up in the weight room are the best of his life. He can squat 505 pounds, bench press 385 pounds and deadlift 665 pounds. He alternates working on his chest one day, his legs the next and his back the day after that.

Beyond that, Singleton begins his workout day with a cardio regimen and he¡¯s watching what he eats. He consumes very little carbohydrates and downs a lot of protein, carefully measuring everything he ingests.

¡°He comes here at 6:30 [a.m.] and he¡¯s already sweating on the treadmill,¡± Dub¨®n said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty crazy watching him and how he goes about his business.¡±

By now, Singleton¡¯s saga is a familiar one to Astros fans. Signed to a five-year, $10 million contract just as he was called up to the big leagues on June 3, 2014, he was later slapped with multiple suspensions for marijuana use until, in 2018, following a third failed test, Houston released him.

Singleton was out of baseball and spent time in the Mexican League before signing a Minor League contract with the Brewers in 2022. He returned to the big leagues with Milwaukee in ¡¯23 -- eight years after his last game with the Astros -- and came full circle when Houston signed him to a Minor League deal late in the ¡®23 season.

¡°He has put himself back into that big spot of a lefty who can get good ABs against righties,¡± Espada said. ¡°He did a nice job for us at first base last year, so he¡¯s making the best out of his second chance in his career.¡±