The Houston Astros salvaged one game against the New York Yankees on their home stand before hitting the road, thanks to a strong performance from Spencer Arrighetti. But that one win didn’t make too much of a dent for the franchise in the AL West standings.
Going into the new week, the Astros sit in last place in the division with an 11-18 record. After just missing the playoffs last season, Houston looks to have taken a considerable step backward in 2026, worrying the fanbase for what’s to come.
But one person isn’t worried about the slow start, and that’s general manager Dana Brown. When a team is in hard times like this, it’s easy for people to point fingers at the manager, in this case, Joe Espada, for the poor performance. But Brown, he isn’t following that narrative.
In a recent article posted by The Athletic’s Chandler Rome (subscription required), Brown has been reported as defending his manager for the slow start, using reasons such as allowing too many free passes on the base paths and dealing with injuries up and down the roster.
“The pitching hasn’t been up to par. We’re walking a ton of guys. I can’t start pointing the finger at Joe because we’re walking a ton of guys and we’re banged up,” Brown said via Rome’s article.
While some players are quicker to return to the majors than others, Espada is doing what he can to keep the franchise afloat, awaiting reinforcements. Brown isn’t blinded by the poor start and understands the situation his franchise finds itself in.
What Brown admires the most about Espada is how he’s a calm manager and takes time to spend with each player. From the way that Brown talks about Espada, he might not be going anywhere anytime soon, despite being viewed as a manager in the hot seat.
“He’s going to quietly lead these guys individually — and he’ll do it as a group if he has to — and get these guys back on the mark. I think players appreciate that. When you’re like that, at the end of the day, players start to pull back and say, ‘OK, let me take it day by day, let me not put too much pressure on myself.'”
What the Astros have to control moving forward is making more competitive pitches on the mound and not letting games get away from them. Too many times already this season, the Astros have struggled from a pitching standpoint, but that’s not entirely their fault, with players like Hunter Brown, Josh Hader, Cristian Javier, and Tatsuya Imai all on the shelf.
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