Houston Astros' Slow Start Raises Stakes for Joe Espada

Joe Espada has been the manager of the Houston Astros since November 2023. In many ways, his tenure has seen the team continue to win baseball games. He's put up two winning seasons, winning the AL West division in one while barely missing out on the postseason in the other. For other teams and fan bases, Espada's success through two years would be enough to warrant high praise. But this isn't any ordinary team, and his lack of high-level winning is currently coming back to bite him.

If Espada had a history of delivering the Astros what they want — deep runs in October — then 2026's 27-34 start wouldn't hit as hard. It would still be a negative, but Espada would have a little wiggle room.

Right now, he has absolutely none.

Sure, the front office didn't set him up for success, leaving him with a pitching staff that's subpar at best and flat-out terrible at worst. Injuries have plagued the roster, too, with star players absent from the lineup for extended periods, leaving the team with little room for error. A lot of that isn't Espada's fault — it's Dana Brown's and the rest of the front office's — but baseball is a business that needs a scapegoat, and Espada, rightly or wrongly, is set up to be just that man.

Winning Is the Only Cure

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Let's not get this twisted: Espada isn't just a scapegoat. His decision-making has cost the Astros games, and he hasn't necessarily been the calm captain through perilous waters that the club needs him to be. Add in a terrible start to the season, and his seat is hotter than Vesuvius.

There's an important question which needs to be asked here, though: Can Joe Espada save his skin? Can he, the man who was handpicked to succeed the legend that was Dusty Baker, emerge from the doubt and become the manager that he was meant to be? And how does that become a reality?

The first step is to start winning. That's the most important part of this puzzle and perhaps also the most difficult. There's really only so much a manager can do, after all. But any buttons that Espada can push to deliver the Astros victories are needed at the moment.

No, Espada can't will the players on the injured list to become healthy. No, he can't suddenly make the pitching staff competent. No, he can't import Yordan Alvarez's power into every single person in the lineup. What he can do, however, is instill confidence in the roster to win. Motivation is his job, and while that skill doesn't necessarily make losses wins, it can give everybody a sense that everything is going to be alright.

"This ship isn't going to sink," is what a good captain says to his crew. That's exactly what Espada must say to his team right now. "Everything's going to be alright. Let's forge ahead through these dangerous waters and emerge better men on the other side."

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